SAN JOSE. Calif.—Freedom of religion is a basic right for Americans, but unfortunately, Falun Gong practitioners in China have been persecuted for their faith since 1999. Shen Yun Performing Arts is using its art to raise awareness of the ongoing atrocity in China.
“I think it’s incredibly brave of them to do this, and it’s just great for them to bring it here where we can see it. I hope at some point they can take it back to China,” said Mike Wanzong, a software engineer and solution consultant.
Shen Yun is based in New York, and its mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization through dance and music. Jennifer Wanzong, Mr. Wanzong’s wife, expressed that everyone should have the right to practice what they believe.
“That’s the history of their culture, and they truly believe in it. Their right to practice that was taken away,” said Mrs. Wanzong, a software support engineer.
Falun Gong quickly grew in popularity in China in the 90s, and soon, the number of people practicing it exceeded the members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The totalitarian regime felt threatened by Falun Gong’s popularity and began a crackdown of the peaceful practice on July 20, 1999.
“Horribly persecuted, and it’s still going on. And that doesn’t make any sense why it should be. I mean, they’re divine beings; they have a right to be, and they shouldn’t be persecuted for just being children of the divinity. I mean, that doesn’t make any sense,” expressed Mrs. Wanzong.
Shen Yun’s artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.
“I like them all. They flow very nicely. They’re very in sync. They’re very graceful. Their costumes are exquisite,” said Mrs. Wanzong.
Classical Chinese dance has a history of thousands of years. Many sports that we know today, such as gymnastics and acrobatics actually originate from this dance form.
“Extremely well-choreographed, very beautiful, very moving, and it really makes me want to see them be able to get back to their home country and take this back there,” said Mrs. Wanzong.
Reporting by Gary Wang and Maria Han.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
From The Epoch Times
