“I was born and grew up in China under communism, and during the Mao era and the Cultural Revolution [the Chinese Communist Party] destroyed all the traditional values and cultures. This show portrayed to me that I did not really learn a lot of real Chinese history when I lived in China until I came to America. So I feel sad, and I also feel like it’s just so beautiful, so amazing. And I hope that you will continue to spread the word throughout the world so people know what the real China is about before communism took over,” said Lily Tang Williams, the co-founder and chair of the New Hampshire Asian American Coalition.
Ms. Williams added, “I think that people have to turn to God and turn to spiritual belief in order to encounter and defeat those tyrants and communists who are treating human beings basically like robots and animals they do not respect. And it’s just so sad, because I still have family in China, I still have friends in China, and they have no voices, and we need to speak for them.”
“The traditional Chinese culture is all about compassion and truth and harmony and tolerance. Those are very good traditional values and culture,” said Ms. Williams. “And I always try to tell people that China is controlled by a one-party dictatorship, and the Chinese people are the biggest victims of the regime. So we have to speak to the Chinese people directly to help them realize the truth about their own government, and not buy into propaganda.”
Ms. Williams also said that Shen Yun’s portrayal of modern Chinese society gives a reminder of the people still under communist rule. “The world needs to know that communism is an evil ideology, and it’s not the real China, and that’s why we have to separate the People’s Republic of China government from its people. And we have human rights, and you see that the people in China today have no human freedom and no religious freedom.”
Ms. Williams added, “We have to show how ... human beings [are] created by God. We have equal rights, and we cannot be diminished. We cannot be disrespected or persecuted for our religious freedom.”
“Thank you, artists. You are the voice for those voiceless inside China. Continue to stay healthy and happy. Spread the word and spread the messages of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance,” said Ms. Williams.
