“Back in China, you could only hear about Shen Yun by bypassing internet censorship. Today was my first time [watching Shen Yun]. I never expected to see this show in person. I was truly amazed. And what amazed me the most [was] so many people [were not] Chinese. Most of the audience were Westerners coming to see this show. I never expected they’d also appreciate traditional Chinese culture,” said Zhenyu Wu, a recent Chinese immigrant.
“Today was really the first time I experienced China’s traditional culture so close up. This is something that’s impossible to experience in [mainland China]. Especially at first, I didn’t even realize the music was performed live. When I saw it, I was truly amazed. I never expected our traditional music could achieve such brilliance today. From now on, I’ll come every year,” said Laipeng Xiao, a recent Chinese immigrant.
Xianjia Zhang, a recent Chinese immigrant, said, “To see China’s 5,000 years of culture, traditions, arts, and dance really is astounding. I really feel very proud.”
Mr. Wu said, “People all over the world enjoy things that are truly good and beautiful, and they have the freedom to choose. Unlike in China, where you probably wouldn’t be able to see a show like this.”
“We humans didn’t come to this world for no reason. This world must have been created by a Creator. So in this world, like we just saw on stage, we have to uphold the values of being honest, being kind, and being beautiful,” said Mr. Xiao.
Through a series of vignettes, Shen Yun exposes the modern-day persecution of faith in China, one reason it is banned from performing there. Theatergoers said they hoped to see that change soon.
“I hope that everyone in China, and everyone in the world, can see such an amazing performance,” said Mr. Wu.
Mr. Zhang said, “I also hope that more people can see this performance. To keep Chinese culture alive and let it flourish.”
“Being able to come to Canada, a place of freedom and equality to freely enjoy traditional culture and freely express our views, it’s truly not easy,” said Mr. Xiao. “We hope that one day this performance can soon return to China and let all of us Chinese people experience the beauty of our traditional culture.”
