Shen Yun concludes its Asia tour at the beginning of April with its last stop in Taiwan. The New York-based performing arts group performed in five cities: Miaoli, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Changhua, and Taipei for a total of 32 performances.
“I have a lot of respect and gratitude for Shen Yun,” said Chi-Wen Hsieh, the CEO of Huimin Hospital in Hsinchu, Taiwan. He saw Shen Yun in Miaoli and said: “Actually it’s not easy to see such a big production in Taiwan—with dances this perfect and harmonious, and an orchestra blending Eastern and Western instruments.”
“Excellent performers. Their demeanor and how they conduct themselves [on stage] are very touching. I really admire them,” said Tsung-Ming Lin, the principal of Nanhua University. He saw Shen Yun in Taipei.
“The dances and the fine details of the costumes are breathtaking. Most importantly, Shen Yun showcased the long-running effect that a 5,000-year civilization has on humanity,” said Taiwanese legislator Hui-Yuan Lai, who saw Shen Yun in Tainan.
“The performers were very in the zone,” said Ta-Chih Hsing, who saw Shen Yun in Changhua. He is a board member of the Pingtung County Microcinema Development Association. He said the performances are perfect: “The excitement, anger, sadness, joy, and fear were on full display on their faces. What I admire the most is the choreography, including the twists and turns in a short, 5-minute dance, all while making it very easy to understand and fully displaying the spirit and cultural essence.”
Kuo-Wen Chen is the honorary director of the National Chiayi University EMBA Alumni Association, who saw Shen Yun in Kaohsiung. He was touched by the performance: “I’m really touched. Each piece was very moving. Each note in the song, every performer, every musician in Shen Yun’s orchestra was really amazing. They touched my heart.”
Shen Yun’s mission is to bring back 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture through classical Chinese dance and a live orchestra.
“Through its choreography, Shen Yun showcased the golden age of the Han and Tang dynasties, as well as the culture inside the Qing dynasty court. It even included ethnic dances. Looking at the historic timeline, this show covers history stretching thousands of years,” said Tien-Fu Lin, the vice county mayor of Changhua County. He saw Shen Yun in Changhua.
“So much to take in—mythology, historic dances, mini-dramas, and of course, the Chinese civilization, as well as ethnic and folk dances. Shen Yun displayed the beauty of dance. The performance also encourages people to be more compassionate. Bravo,” said Lan-Sheng Wang, the director of National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall. He saw Shen Yun in Taipei.
“Traditional culture must be promoted and amplified. And Shen Yun is the best way to do it, because the rest of us can’t. Only Shen Yun can spread this culture all over the world. Really, it’s very powerful,” said dance teacher Wei-Wen Huang, who saw Shen Yun in Tainan.
“I can tell that Shen Yun has put a lot of heart into continuing the culture. Thousands of years of traditional Chinese art and culture, so that we can learn about it here. That’s very nice,” said Yueh-Hsiang Chiu, the former chair of the World Innovation, Technology and Services Alliance. She saw Shen Yun in Taipei.
From legends to myths, Shen Yun showcases the traditional values of truth, compassion, and forbearance.
“Truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. A performance like Shen Yun is telling the world’s people what the most beautiful and happy world to live in looks like,” said Taiwanese Opera Performer Tsui-Feng Sun, who saw the performance in Taipei.
“You can enjoy the most beautiful things humanity has to offer. You can also learn more about your heart, how tolerance can make our lives better, instead of being competitive and seeking fame and gain,” said Kuo-Lung Liu, the chairman of Taiwan’s National Architects Association. He saw Shen Yun in Taipei.
“Now that I’ve watched the performance, I would recommend that more people see Shen Yun. Because I think people can’t live without compassion. I think [Shen Yun] would bring out the compassion inside people,” said Chieh-Ying Huang, a director of a stage equipment company. He watched the performance in Tainan.
“I believe everyone has their mission in this world, and [Shen Yun’s] dances can awaken people’s awareness of values such as truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. So more people would like to share their love,” said pianist I-Chun Chen, who saw Shen Yun in Tainan.
Audience members said they felt warmth and compassion from Shen Yun.
“More people should come see Shen Yun. It’s positive regardless of whether you see it as art or an effort to spread compassion,” said Jau-Yuan Hwang, a justice of Taiwan’s Constitutional Court. He saw Shen Yun in Taipei.
“They have put so much heart into giving us the essence of [traditional Chinese culture]. Of course, I’m very thankful for this wonderful show. I hope I can come back next year so that we have opportunities to see it again,” said Ssu-Min Chang, an honorary professor at National Taiwan Sport University. He saw Shen Yun in Taipei.
“I just have to tell my family and friends that seeing Shen Yun would take you to another level. And if you haven’t seen it, it would be a lifetime regret,” said singer Yuan-Cheng Wang, who saw Shen Yun in Tainan.
This year, Shen Yun’s world tour ends in May.
NTD News, Taiwan
