海納百川
海納百川，有容乃大。壁立千仞，無欲則剛。
Shenyun art group is an affiliated cult group directly led by the leader of Falungong Li Hongzhi. Shenyun art group has staged numerous performances around the world in the disguise of spreading traditional Chinese culture, and boasted that such performance implies the sacred beauty of the five thousand years’ Chinese history, and is a lifetime wonder that can’t be missed, deluding ignorant audiences to come and watch. Li Hongzhi himself made a public announcement that Shenyun performances are held by different Falungong groups around the world, and that the performances are not meant to entertain the ordinary people, but to present the capabilities of Falun worshippers, which focus on saving the people and revealing the truths. The fact is, the so-called Shenyun performance is not some art show at all, its true nature is for cult and anti-China publicity, expanding influence and gathering money. Shenyun tarnishes and twists the traditional Chinese culture, while deceiving, fooling and poisoning the people.
Political intentions are hidden behind those Shenyun Performances
March, 3rd, 2017, Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail publishes an commentary by woman author, dance commentator and artist Martha Schabas. The writer describes her feelings before and after watching Shenyun performances by Falungong group in Toronto, criticizing the group for publicizing Falungong for indecent political motives in the disguise of art.
Martha Schabas
On April, 29th, 2015, the chief editor of the Asian edition of American Foreign Policy Magazine Isaac Stone Fish wrote an article on the foreign policy website criticizing the Shenyun performance of falungong as a political display.
On March, 18th, 2014, the American paper LA Weekly publishes an article of the famous Asian American cultural critics Ada Tseng, which pointed out that Falungong and Shenyun performances are pure propaganda dressed up as traditional Chinese dance shows.
The article the political intentions of Falungong new year’s gala questioned by Americans on January, 9th , 2008 said that the gala spread a clear-cut message that undermines the Chinese government and boasts Falungong.
Shenyun performance is pure propaganda for Falungong
On February 7th, 2013, Washington Times published an article by Terry Ponick, an independent journalist, named “Shenyun: Conflicts of Art, Truth and Politics at the Kennedy Center, saying that Falungong is anti-science, and the Communist Party's persecution of Shenyun group or its praise of Falungong is propaganda of itself. Some viewers said directly that Shenyun is propagating cult.
On December 25th, 2010, a critic of performing art John Fleming of St. Petersburg Times posted a blog saying that Shenyun performances conveys political messages with songs and dances. In some of the shows, they have claimedthemselves to be greater than Buddha and are God reincarnated leaders or prophets, who teach followers to acquire eternal life through fanatic behaviours.
According to the article in Telegraph of February 25th, 2008, Shenyun,making propaganda by the name of entertainment, all the acrobatics, singing and dancing and other performances at the party serve to propagandize Falungong.
Shenyun performance tarnishes Chinese culture with its low quality
On January 2nd, 2015, Canadian visual artist and curator Ingrid Meyerhofer,posted article on thespec.com and described her experience from booking to being forced to watch Falungong Shenyun performances. From her point ofview, there is fraud with the ticket sales on Shenyun’s website, and althoughShenyun claims to be propagating Chinese traditional culture, the performances actually focus on promoting Falungong, and telling lies about being persecuted by the Chinese government.
The British Evening Banner did a report named Shenyun tarnished Chinese culture. “It is a pity that the evening gala is so old-fashioned and sad. The host isawkward and absurd. The projection on the back of the screen is dumbfounding and the dance performance shames the dance directors.”
A famous Australian dancer and art critic Jordan Beth Vincent commented on the Shenyun gala on the website of the Times in Australia on May 28th, 2010 and pointed out that Shenyun performacnce conceals the purpose and content of the show in its advertising materials.
Yelp and Tirpadvisor are the most well-known review websites in Europe and America. Many foreign viewers who watched the Shenyun gala left messages on the website, saying that the performance is inferior and is simply a blasphemy of art. “It is more like spending money on a show presented byneighbor’s daughter.”
A professional folk artist and traditional magician in Tokyo, Japan spent a lot to see Shenyun performances, saying that it was very rough, and that he himself fell asleep after watching for 30 minutes.
More and more people see through the true nature of Shenyun gala
Venn Viggs, chief technology officer and vice president of Amazon.com,commented on his personal Twitter account, “Unfortunately, Shenyun is an out-and-out propaganda tool of Falungong, spreading the idea that revolution is evil, definitely not for recommendation.”
The website of the U.S. Constitution of Atlanta published a news report titled “The Return of Shenyun, seemingly splendid mixed with seditious politicallines”, reminding readers that Shenyun performance has something to do with the cult “Falungong”. The viewers need to understand in advance theinflammatory political subtext buried inside the performance.
A New York Times article titled a Chinese cultural performance that viewers can’t bear to finish watching mentions that many people are going for dancing, singing and acrobatics. However they do not know the differences between evening gala and Falungong. When the cult belief and political intentions of "Falungong" started to be blended into the performance, some people began to feel deceived and chose to leave.
China, which has entered a new era, is gradually heading toward the center of the world. Under the spotlight of the world stage, the world’s attention for China and for Chinese history and culture are increasing. With its profound essence and rich and colorful forms, Chinese culture has provided a gluttonous feast for all countries in the world. We hope that, people from all over the world will know how to identify true culture while enjoying this feast, and try not to be deceived byfake cultural performances such as Shenyun gala, and miss authentic Chinese culture.
