(Clearwisdom.net) The final performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts at Yuanlin Performance Hall in Changhua County was a spectacular, completely sold-out event. Many professionals in the arts community felt "very lucky" for being able to see the final Shen Yun performance on March 25, which was the last performance in Taiwan. The audience enthusiastically watched the show and often broke into thunderous applause. After the Shen Yun performers answered four curtain calls, the audience was still reluctant to leave. The audience members highly commended Shen Yun for its excellent representation of the five thousand years of traditional Chinese culture. They believed that the Shen Yun performance was enlightening to people and it was a perfectly benevolent and beautiful artistic feast.

Zhang Xinrong, Changhua City Orchestra Director, came to see the performance. During the intermission, she granted an interview. She said, "I am a music professional. Changhua City Orchestra encompasses different fields of artistic performance. This evening's programs have represented the essence of traditional Chinese culture. The performance was excellent. I feel that the costume design was very professional. The last program of the first half, 'Dance of the Snow-Capped Mountain,' showed the valiant and unrestrained character of Tibetans. After the host and hostess introduced this program, I was very curious to see how they would present the piece. When it first started, (I saw that) obviously the costume design was completely different from the delicate, elegant, and classic designs that I had seen in several previous programs. The sleeves of all the male performers' costumes were very long, and covered all their arms. So even from the costume design alone, one could feel that kind of joyful, wild and vigorous atmosphere. This has really made me admire the creator of the program. Furthermore, the piece 'Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution' described the persecution of kind people. It helped people generate righteousness and compassion in their minds. So it was very moving."

Changhua City Orchestra Director Zhang Xinrong came to see the performance

She said with admiration, "The multimedia production is very high-caliber. Notably, the inspired artwork and the use of traditional Chinese culture were really excellent. It really deserves our coming to watch and study the performance. It is even more suitable for the whole family to come and watch. Shen Yun can really play the role of purifying people's souls."

Ms. Zhang said, "Tickets for most other musical performances and artistic programs in Taiwan have not sold well. But for the Shen Yun Performing Arts shows, the tickets have sold very well with each and every show. I feel that this glamour of Shen Yun is something that we want to understand and learn. When I entered the theater, I saw a big crowd, and this wonderful scene has far surpassed what I saw when I watched the famous Lion King or the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway during my time studying in New York City. I feel this is really a miracle. In today's situation, people came to see the show truly out of their own inner hearts, and they also came very much on time. Furthermore, this was a large crowd. I have heard that this year, each and every show was almost sold out. This evening is the last one. Several friends and I wanted to come to see the show, but we were afraid that the tickets would be sold-out if we had not bought the tickets early."

Zhou Huizhen, an oil painting artist and a member of the World Chinese Association of Artistic Creations, along with her husband Wang Renxiang, also came to the Shen Yun performance. When she was interviewed during the intermission, she said, "The program is really excellent. One sentence of the lyrics mentioned that the god has already come, wanting us to hurry up in returning to heaven. That touched me deep in my heart. I feel that humans have all come to the human world for just a temporary stay. It seems to me that the Buddha has already descended and wants to bring us back home. I am really touched! The two songs by Tenor Yuanqu have touched me deeply, and were beyond description. Every scene in the show has touched my heart."

Zhou Huizhen, an oil painter and a member of the World Chinese Association of Artistic Creations, along with her husband Wang Renxiang, came to see Shen Yun performance

Ms. Zhou highly commended the backdrops, "The backdrops were designed particularly well. For example, the oil painting and the landscape were very touching, and looked like heavenly scenes having come to the human world. The divine beings and Buddhas floated down from heaven and then returned. The characters all descended in this way, which was very special. It was really wonderful."

At the conclusion of the second half, Ms. Zhou accepted another interview, saying, "I can not imagine being touched so much! I feel that it has touched my soul deeply. I originally thought that I would enjoy the show in the same way I enjoy other ordinary shows. I didn't know that it would be so splendid. This show has given me enlightenment for my future creations. I now want to focus on spirituality in my creations. Gods want us to wake up quickly, as the path of returning to heaven has already been revealed and there is no more time for us to wait. These several lines of lyrics have really touched me."

Ms. Zhou's husband Mr. Wang Renxiang, who works for Chunghwa Telecom, said, "The performance has very thoroughly depicted a wonderful cultural essence. It is very good. It has taught each and every one of us that we have come from the heavens, and that we should walk the path to return home. Although this world still has much suppression and persecution, the performance shows us that we shouldn't get lost and become disheartened, as it is still possible to return to the heavens."

Ceramics artist Zhong Minjian said, "Shen Yun has used the forms of dancing and arts to depict the heavenly-imparted culture, faith, and so on. This is a very wise way. Furthermore, the interaction with the audience was very good and very pleasing. Art in itself, basically has this kind of function. However, it isn't easy to achieve such a high-caliber effect. I feel that artistic creation is cultivation, as art is our faith. This kind of message can hardly be expressed with words, but Shen Yun has done it. This is what I admire in Shen Yun the most."

Ceramics artist Zhong Minjian said, "I feel that artistic creation is cultivation. This kind of message can hardly be expressed with words, but Shen Yun has done it. This is what I admire in Shen Yun the most."

Mr. Zhong indicated that one of his artist friends recommended that he see the performance. He said, "A friend of mine, who is a painter, saw the show yesterday. He told me that I should definitely come to see the show today. I especially like to watch dance-type performances. Before I came today, I didn't know it was a dance performance. Shen Yun dance, music, and costumes, in the overall artistic aspect, are presented very well, extraordinary. This is very enlightening for my artistic creativity. It has especially made me affirm our Chinese culture, and it has helped us be more confident about our own culture. Next year, I will introduce the show to more friends of mine in the community of arts."

March 26, 2009