Taiwan: The Divine Performing Arts Well-Received (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net)

After putting on 70 shows in America, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, the Divine Performing Arts presented another 15 shows between April 7 and 21 in Taipei, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, and Kaohsiung.

People from all walks of life in Taiwan were amazed by the shows.

Tickets were hard to get.

Ticket-sales began in Taiwan on March 1. All the tickets in Taipei were sold out in three hours, so many people had to go to other cities to buy tickets. To meet the demand, it was decided to add seven more performances. All the tickets for all 15 shows were sold out and the organizers had to add chairs in the theaters.

On April 14 and 15, many people in Kaohsiung went to the show, and many people waited for tickets. The organizers had to add many chairs in the theater.

People from Yunlin, Nantou, Caotun and Hsinchu went to the show held on the campus of ChungHsing University in Taichung. The line of people waiting to enter the theater was 1500 feet long. The organizers had to allow people who didn't get tickets for seats to stand in the theater to watch the show.

Compliments

Vice President of Taiwan Hsiu-lien Annette Lu

Taiwan Vice President Lu Hsiu-lien was present at the first show in Taipei and gave a three-minute speech. She praised the Divine Performing Arts promotion of the cultural essence of the Han and Tang Dynasties' prosperous times. She said that she hoped the wonderful performance of the Divine Performing Arts could help everyone make efforts for peace between the straits.

Renowned choreographer Dr. Liu Feng-Hsueh

Renowned choreographer Dr. Liu Feng-Hsueh praised the Divine Performing Arts for its ethnic characteristics and modern features. She liked every selection. "The performers are young but performed very well."

When asked which program she liked most, Dr. Liu said, "The soprano impressed me very much, not only her clear voice but her expression. The performances touched on belief and dance with Chinese cultural characteristics. The choreography was very thoughtful."

Li Chi-mao, professor of Arts University and a painter-calligrapher

Li Chi-mao, professor of Arts University and a painter-calligrapher said, "The performance not only was enjoyable but also makes one think and cleanses the entire heart. Today, as morality is degenerating, I am fortunate to see the wonderful performance of the Divine Performing Arts. It is a cleansing event. It is worth promoting." He said that the performance presented not only the culture of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, but also of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. He especially liked the explanation and wording of each program and suggested that it be translated into every language when the Divine Performing Arts performs on tour, so that all audiences around the world could experience the extraordinary grace.

Kuomintang Central Standing Committee member Ms. Chiang Fang-chih

Kuomintang Central Standing Committee member Ms. Chiang Fang-chih, the third daughter-in-law of Chiang Ching-guo, [the son of Chiang Kai-shek and former President of Taiwan] said after the performance, "The performances showed the diversity of Chinese culture. The various cultures were presented beautifully. " She praised the Divine Performing Arts for its promotion of Chinese culture through art. "Each dancer performed well and had a gentle smile." She was impressed most with the selection "Candlelight Vigil." "The whole world should have light, hope, and direction. The program not only was artful, but emphasized that the human world must have belief and purpose. Chinese culture is truly great," said Ms. Chiang. "Each program was deeply meaningful."

Renowned painter Yan Mao-chin

Renowned painter Yan Mao-chin praised the costumes, background screen, and stage design. He said, "The design of the costumes matches the movements well. The images on the background screen are simple and clear. Some special techniques were used, such as the smoking war indicator and Buddha images in Dunhuang Caves. The Buddha images danced along with the dancer, which appeared to have been designed especially and were very fresh." He emphasized, "Many backdrop screens were well designed. For example, there were plums in the screen for the soprano. Another program had three celestial maidens on the screen, which was unique."

Hu Yuan-hsin, General Manger of a public TV station

Hu Yuan-hsin, General Manger of a public TV station, and his wife were in attendance. In an interview, he said that he saw the promotion of the essence of Chinese traditional culture. As a former director of the Central News Agency, Mr. Hu has keen observations on current society. He said, "People of different backgrounds and different beliefs can have a common understanding through the performances and understand Falun Gong's spirit."

Bao Tsung-he, Vice President of Taiwan University

Bao Tsung-he, Vice President of Taiwan University, after watching the first half of the performance, said he was impressed most with the erhu performance. Qi Xiaochun's performance was energetic and very touching.

Wang Tu-fa, a member of the Legislative Committee

Wang Tu-fa, a member of the Legislative Committee, said the performance was excellent. He said that culture and art do not have national boundaries but contribute to world peace. The performance presented Chinese culture and he wished that, through culture, China and the world would have peace. He was impressed with "To the Rightful Place," a reminder that good is rewarded with good, and evil meets retribution.

Chiao Renhe, former Director of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits

Chiao Renhe, former Director of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, came with his wife. He said, "I came at the invitation of Professor Ming Chu-cheng of Taiwan University. Though I don't know much about the arts, I felt the performance was very good." Regarding the CCP's interference with the Divine Performing Arts, he said "Religion and art should have freedom. Any free society should move in this direction."

The profound content of the show touches people's souls

Many people called this April the "Month of the Divine Performing Arts." The profound content of the shows deeply touched many hearts. A lot of people had tears in their eyes as they watched.

Former principal of Chuang Ching Primary School Tsai Hsu-hui and her nine-year-old daughter attended the second performance in Kaohsiung on April 15. Ms. Tsai said that starting from the first performance of "Creation," seeing Buddhas and Bodhisattvas descending to the human world on the backdrop, she was moved to tears. She was unable to express what she felt except to say that the very depths of her being had been touched. Listening to the lyrics, "Who am I in the vast heaven and earth, failing to remember how many times I have reincarnated" her eyes filled with tears again. Her daughter saw her crying and immediately passed her a tissue. She asked her why she was crying. When her daughter turned around, she saw the woman sitting beside her was also crying. Ms. Tsai said, "The reason that I was so touched is that I understood at that moment the origin of life. It touched the depth of my soul. After having gone through many reincarnations, I'm still in the maze of the human world. I feel a bit of awakening." Ms. Tsai said that the Divine Performing Arts contains "divine beauty" that differentiated itself from other performances. At the same time, she also felt a pure, cleansing energy.

Cable TV manager Han Hsu-yuan

The manager of Nan Kuo CATV, Han Hsu-yuan, attended the performance and was deeply moved. She said that she could not help shedding tears, and that it may have been because it had been quite a long time since anyone interpreted such traditional virtues as honesty, kindness, loyalty, and filial piety. She said that inspiring dance performance are needed to remind our community to pay attention to these traditional virtues, which will be of great help for the future of our society.

Mr. Liao (left No. 1) and 91 year-old Mother of Mr. Liao (right No. 2)

Mr. Liao said his emotions were touched by the lyrics of the songs, and he could not help crying, but he was then delighted with the dance performances. He noticed that the lights were very bright on the stage, giving people hope and a refreshed, clear-minded feeling.

A 91- year-old lady attended the performance with her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. She said she was very pleased and very clear about the meaning of the performance. She was particularly clear about the meaning conveyed in "The Loyalty of Yue Fei." She said she would tell her family and friends and encourage them to come next year.

Mr. Wu Hongchang, the conductor of the Kaohsiung Traditional Chinese Instrument Orchestra

Mr. Wu Hongchang, the conductor of the Kaohsiung Traditional Chinese Instrument Orchestra, said that he could not hold back his tears during the show. He was amazed by the creativity of the choreographers; they made him proud to be Chinese.

Mr. Lu Yuanhua, Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau director

Mr. Lu Yuanhua said that he came to watch the show because he has been planning a show, which will be performed by college students and reflect traditional Chinese culture. He found that the show by the Divine Performing Arts was much better than he had imagined in terms of art design, spiritual elements, and cultural content. He said that this show was a very good model, and art groups in colleges could learn a lot from it. Mr. Lu said that the most impressive thing about the show was that it reflected the responsibility of art to society. He said that the skillful performances and profound content of the show melted the audience member's hearts.

Professor Yu Kungchung, a famous poet and scholar and former dean of the College of Liberal Arts of National Sun Yat-Sen University

Professor Yu Kungchung, a famous poet and scholar and former dean of the College of Liberal Arts of National Sun Yat-Sen University, highly praised the performances. He said: "The Taiwanese are so lucky to have such a high level show. We should promote it and let more and more people know about it. It is a pity that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ruined the traditional Chinese culture in the last decades. It is very good that the Divine Performing Arts from America is willing to promote the Chinese culture. Chinese culture is our heritage, and it can help us to purify our hearts and keep our bearings under the impact of globalization. This performance is really special and we need to cherish it." He was deeply touched by the dance about Yue Fei. He pointed out that the skillful dance choreography excellently told the historic story. "The show is fabulous. It related many historic stories and included many minorities' dances. The background showed the beautiful mountains and rivers in China, which was touching."

Mr. Wang Haifeng, director of the Taiwan Art Institute and the vice president of the World Association of Artists

Mr. Wang Haifeng, director of the Taiwan Art Institute and the vice president of the World Association of Artists, said, "The show is amazing. I want to express the beauty of the show in a painting. I have never tried to express dynamic dance before in painting."

Liao Yi-cheng, a financial legal representative and director of the Changchun Natural Disaster Prevention Foundation

Liao Yi-cheng, a financial legal representative and director of the Changchun Natural Disaster Prevention Foundation, said, "Seeing such a grand performance is life-changing and inspirational. Such a force to inspire society and lead people in a good direction! Each selection had its unique features to inspire our subconscious while showing the essence of Chinese culture."

Mr. Lu Dacheng, the chair of the Department of Religion at Furen University

Mr. Lu Dacheng is the chair of the Department of Religion at Furen University. He read many reports about the show before he came to see it. He said, "The performance level of the show is superb." He saw the third show in Taipei and said that the dance "Creation" awakened a memory deep in his heart. He said that the show was very creative. He was amazed that the performers, who grew up in America, had such good understandings of the Chinese culture and was impressed by the dances that portrayed patriotic spirit, such as "The Loyalty of Yue Fei."

The dance "To the Rightful Place" exposed the persecution of Falun Gong. Mr. Lu said, "My family members are Catholic. Two brothers of mine were jailed by the CCP for 20 years. My uncle was jailed for nine years and died in prison. Although it happened in the 1950's, it still hurts. If you have a belief or opinion different from the CCP, it will persecute you. The persecution of Falun Gong is very brutal. I know about it and am very concerned about it."

Father Fang Chi-rong, former Dean of the Religious Studies Institute of Furen University

Father Fang Chirong, former Dean of the Religious Studies Institute of Furen University, indicated that he likes the three characters "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." "People should intensify the power of good and promote it. One should be compassionate to others. Tolerance is very good." Regarding the performance depicting the persecution of Falun Gong, he sees Falun Gong as just doing exercises and meditation. "It is the Communist Party that's afraid of the firm belief that Falun Gong practitioners hold, and it is the CCP that caused the loss of people's trust. The CCP can't hold on to power while carrying out the persecution."

Ninety-one year-old Pastor Chao Ya-bo, the former principal of Weidao High School

Ninety-one year-old Pastor Chao Ya-bo, the former principal of Weidao High School, is a famous philosopher. He has written dozens of books on philosophy. After the second show in Taichung, he said, "All art forms, including dancing, singing and painting, are not just for entertainment but for seeking the truth and god. Through art, we can find the true meaning of life and truth."

He said that art can help one to cultivate and that the ultimate goal of art is to communicate with gods. He said that Falun Dafa is the truth today.

Chen Mei-ling, Associate Professor of Daye University

Chen Mei-ling, Associate Professor at Daye University, said that she saw the true spirit of the Chinese people. She described how she was very moved by the first performance of the show, "Creation." She said, "I am very proud to be Chinese. At my advanced age, I feel this pride for the first time." Ms. Chen said that the show promoted Chinese culture, besides a presenting a high level of artistic achievement. After seeing the show, she felt a special peace in her heart. She said, "I think it is hard to come by. Such a sense of serenity will stay in my heart for a long time."

The difference between the police in Taiwan and in Mainland China

Police Chief Chen Chia-chin

Mr. Chen Chia-chin is in charge of public security for all of Pingtung County. As the police chief, Mr. Chen has been working hard so that the local people can live and work in peace and contentment, but the police officers of the Communist Party in the performance "To the Rightful Place" were so inhumane that they tortured a kindhearted Falun Gong practitioner to death. The performance ended when the woman, who was tortured to death for persisting in safeguarding the Fa, so moved Heaven and Earth that Gods and Buddhas led her to Heaven. The wicked police officers then met with their retributions, as they were cast into hell to be punished. Mr. Chen said that such a profound and moving performance as "To the Rightful Place" is what current society needs the most. If the bad people saw this performance, they would not dare to do evil deeds. He said he admired this achievement of carrying forward traditional Chinese culture and the human cultural spirit. Such a performance of high quality and standards should be widely promoted, so that more people's minds can be purified and elevated. The message of pure kindness and beauty will make the society even more peaceful and content.

The first police chief in Pingtung County, Liao Hsun-hui

Ms. Liao Hsun-hui attended the performance on the evening of April 14. She was deeply impressed by alto Ms. Yang Jiansheng. She said, "My tears ran down my face while listening to her singing, because she indeed touched my soul, reminding me of those Falun Gong practitioners who were beaten and who suffered at Tiananmen Square. In the dance performance 'Candlelight Vigil' in the second half, a little girl held a candle. I was so moved I cried."

She noticed that many of the selections highlighted loyalty and filial piety, such as "The Loyalty of Yue Fei" and "Mulan," who joined the army in place of her father. She appreciated them very much. She said her current work is maintaining public security and trying to become a leader as a woman, working together with men colleagues in the station. She said, "Through today's performance, my innermost being was uplifted, and I've gained even more inspiration from the teaching of traditional culture. I feel that I was fortunate to see this. I hope I will be able to come next year. I also hope that the Divine Performing Arts will have an opportunity to come to Taiwan again, so that more Taiwanese people will be able to view such an outstanding, high-level performance."

The Divine Performing Arts performances were very successful in Taiwan. As Pingtung County Magistrate Tsao Chi-hong said: "I was fortunate to be able to see the show. It is really an unforgettable experience to be able to see such a high level performance that showcased loyalty, filial piety, and respect and belief in Gods in Chinese culture. The profound content of the show speaks to the purity, compassion and peace in people's hearts and will lead the people in Taiwan to a wonderful future."