Shen Yun Performing Arts put on six sold-out performances in Goyang, South Korea. That’s despite the Chinese Communist Party pressuring various theaters across the country not to allow the New York-based company to perform.
Audience members voiced their support for Shen Yun and its efforts to shed light on the persecution of Falun Gong, a spiritual meditation discipline that follows the teachings of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.
“What impressed me most was the scene showing the persecution of Falun Gong. This part is also the reason why the Chinese government has been interfering with Shen Yun’s performances. I also felt that major theaters in Korea are under pressure because of this. But ultimately, I think that scene was the highlight of the show,” said Hong Seung-ki, who is a professor at Inha University.
“The most impressive part of it is that even though [Falun Gong practitioners] are facing so much persecution in China, they still stick to their convictions. It was very moving to see how hard they work to pursue Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance,” said Park Jae-han, who is on the special committee on religion in the Minjoo Party of Korea.
Shen Yun aims to revive China’s 5,000 years of rich culture and values—something the Chinese Communist Party has tried to systematically uproot after taking control of China in 1949. Audience members commended Shen Yun’s artists for their dedication.
“The beauty of the East must be expressed with the heart. Shen Yun helped me feel this. Eastern culture really requires continuous practice to experience it and it’s been a while since I’ve experienced traditional Eastern culture,” said Jeong Seong-san, a film director and a North Korean defector.
“In fact, everything from the symphony orchestra to the actors left a deep impression on me. All the little details reached deep into my heart. My heart was really deeply touched over and over. I shed tears many times, and burst into tears of joy countless times. I think the audience watching Shen Yun today will have the same feeling as me, because Shen Yun touches everyone’s heart,” said Thu Hien, a singer from Vietnam.
Some theatergoers described Shen Yun as more than just a performance and pointed to positive messages and values present in its storytelling.
“If ordinary performances can only satisfy people’s senses, Shen Yun touches the depths of the soul and makes people think deeply. It’s a performance with profound connotations,” said Mr. Park.
“Shen Yun expresses a thousand words without saying a single one. Shen Yun is a point of contact, and touches people’s hearts. Shen Yun expresses sadness, but Shen Yun also brings joy and happiness. I hope everyone comes to see Shen Yun once,” said Nguyen Ngoc, host of the Health and Nature News Program from Vietnam.
“Today in South Korea, I was finally able to see China’s true traditional and classical culture. Especially seeing the current environment in which the Chinese people are living—if they were to tell the truth, they would be repressed. I am really grateful to Shen Yun for using art to depict this phenomenon in a sophisticated way. The true face of China is not the evil Communist Party, but instead these beautiful, kind people. And the culture includes Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. This is the true basis of Chinese culture,” said Choi Soo-Yong, the dean at South Korea’s Indo-Pacific Strategic Institute.
“My soul has been greatly satisfied and is happy. Really, no words can express my state of mind and my feelings today. As soon as the curtain rose, tears filled my eyes. I will never forget today’s experience,” said Ms. Hien.
Shen Yun will continue its performances in South Korea through May 11.
NTD News, Goyang, South Korea
