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Maybe you've received a flier to see a show at Radio City Music Hall called Chinese New Year Splendor, which is promoted as a holiday celebration of China’s diverse cultural riches. But mixed within the traditional Mongolian dancing, orchestral music and Buddhist parables are dramatizations of the Chinese government’s oppression of Falun Gong, a qigong-based spiritual practice that is banned in China. And the show’s political content is prompting audiences to walk out by the hundreds.
The production, which costs between $58 to $280 per ticket, features a ballet in which three women are imprisoned by police, who kill one of them. Another number depicts Communist police officers bullying a mother and daughter carrying a banner with the Falun Gong message of “truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.”
At the show’s opening night, the Times spoke with several audience members who stormed out, claiming they felt deceived: “I don’t particularly like being accosted on the street by Falun Gong, and I don’t like it happening to me here,” said one. Another said his wife objected to the Falun Gong material; as for their three children, “It went right over their heads.” A Chinese immigrant visiting from Dallas walked out because she “didn’t like the torture stuff so much.”
The Chinese government, which does like the torture stuff, just not when it’s publicized, is predictably infuriated by the show, calling it “a sheer political tool used to spread cult and anti-China propaganda.” Falun Gong has gained a higher profile in recent years through dramatic public demonstrations calling attention to China’s brutal crackdown. Professor Maria Hsia Chang at the University of Nevada tells the Times she thinks the Radio City event “is kind of a P.R. front to try to normalize Falun Gong’s image, so that people don’t think of it as some kind of a wacko cult.” And they do this every year!
In 1999 the group’s founder, Li Hongzhi, told a Time magazine reporter that space aliens were corrupting mankind by teaching modern science. So it's pretty obvious what Chinese New Year Splendor really needs to keep the butts in seats: the invincible star power of Tom Cruise in the cast.
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This isn't news. The show is put on by NTDTV, which is associated with Falun Gong:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Tang_Dynasty_TV
Heck, the Chinese Embassy has even put out statements (not to be outdone when it comes to agitprop) about the NTDTV Chinese New Year show:
http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zt/ppflg/t282595.htm
this was in nytimes.
I had wondered about this. I got a couple of the shows pamphlets handed to me and I initially thought it was Falun Gong but saw no mention of it in the flier. They are making pretty big bank if they can put on a Radio City show...
when I saw the show was sponsored by the Epoch Times, I knew it had something to do with FG.
Dude, you totally robbed this story and it's contents from the NY Times. You should be sued for plaigerism.
As the above readers have said, the connection between Falun Gong and this performance is no surprise: anyone who works in NYC is accustomed to seeing public displays of Falun Gong practices, along with mock torture demonstrations by FG members. The fliers for these performances are being distributed by the same people in the same locations. I assumed this was a FG production. Who would pay $280 to see even a legitimate dance performance, let alone a politically-motivated one?
Hey "Dude", notice the parts where I write "the Times spoke with..." or she "tells the Times"? Or the two links to the same Times article that are in my post? If you actually read it, you can see I made the source obvious to all but the most oblivious "reader." And none the text is copied without attribution.
Clearly from the NY Times article, it's not as obvious to those who bought tickets. There have been Chinese New Year shows in the past that weren't tied to Falun Gong, and the only way you would know in this instance if you looked on the marketing piece and saw that it was produced by NTDTV.
and Yakitori, maybe you don't understand how a blog works. It repurposes relevant information and stories from various news sources and consolidates them.
No, as long as there are links it's ok. Afterall, you would think that an outfit like Gothamist would know all the shortcuts and circumventions by now. Speaking of which, did anyone else catch that "filial piety" tidbit on BoingBoing from the other week? Totally hilarious and makes for some fine reading to usher in the New Year.
There ya go, enjoy, and a Gung Hay Bok Choy to everyone!
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/01/31/filial-piety-letting.html
great photography though
I didn't know they were that explicit with their falun gong stuff, I thought it was subliminal.
sort of interweaving their doctrines in story telling or "folk song and dance" if you will.
I had the bad luck of getting invited by family to see this show. We are not Chinese and some key parts of the show weren't translated. We were expecting a night of dance and music, but got this crappy propaganda piece with so-so dancing and the worst lyrics you're ever heard. A good chunk of the show consisted of solo singers belting out FG propaganda songs accompanied by a pianist.
I would have walked out too, if I could.
The show was far from a sell out. Half the seats were empty on a Friday. We were given great seats up front like so many others, so it didn't look so empty.
I hated this show. While I have sympathy for FG, because of the abuse they suffered from the Communists, after seeing this garbage, I might offer the torturers a ride to the prison.
I feel really bad for the people giving out the fliers, so I take them. But I think I'll be passing on the show.
i wanted to see this show & still would, but the ticket prices are way too high.
These guys were in the Brooklyn Costco peddling the show as well. Dunno how they managed to strike that deal.
Falun Gong or not, I thought the show was beautiful from start to finish. I've seen it twice and it gets better each time. The 3-d backdrop takes you to another world, the costumes are just magnificent and the high level of artistry is absolutely amazing. And most of those artists have won medals in international competitions, so I guess it's a question of taste, whether you like something or don't like something. Some people are proud to be Chinese after seeing the show which is free of communist content...so it's not surprising that some hard-core communists would be a bit restless about the show.
I also thing that the positive values and message of freedom in the show is a force for good and heard many people say how refreshing it is to have some substance in the performing arts. It's not an ordinary show it's an experience! Go see it if you can!
Falun Gong or not, I thought the show was beautiful from start to finish. I've seen it twice and it gets better each time. The 3-d backdrop takes you to another world, the costumes are just magnificent and the high level of artistry is absolutely amazing. And most of those artists have won medals in international competitions, so I guess it's a question of taste, whether you like something or don't like something. Some people are proud to be Chinese after seeing the show which is free of communist content...so it's not surprising that some hard-core communists would be a bit restless about the show.
I also think that the positive values and message of freedom in the show is a force for good and heard many people say how refreshing it is to have some substance in the performing arts. It's not an ordinary show it's an experience! Go see it if you can!
Why suddenly so disinterested in agitprop, Jen? Because it isn't based on "racism" like all the tripe you likely sucked down at Columbia? One person's agitprop is another's Law & Order I suppose.
I feel really bad for the people giving out the fliers, so I take them.
Jen, I certainly hope you offered a donation to ease their suffering.
Makina=plant
Makina:
Are you kidding?
There are millions of Chinese with productions free of communist control (Taiwan, Singapore, Flushing NY, ect). This was just so heavy handed. Not once, but TWICE, the Communist goons come on stage in black jeans, black shirts and black jackets (with the red sickle and hammer on the back, in case you really need to have it spelled out) to beat up the peaceful FG. While they didn't have long mustaches to twirl and laugh very loudly while they attacked, this might be in next years production. And did you like the many, many solo propaganda songs too? It's clear many (if not all) of the performers and "writers" are FG members and not the talented people we should expect at these ticket prices.
Maria Hsia Chang at the University of Nevada tells the Times she thinks the Radio City event “is kind of a P.R. front to try to normalize Falun Gong’s image, so that people don’t think of it as some kind of a wacko cult.”
Spoken like a true objective educator. I wonder what was the gist of Ms. Chang's book about the Falun Gong, given her coarse description of them.
Back to the show. Yes I got everything I was expecting from a fine performing arts show and a lot more than I expected: substance! This is why I'm going back to see it. I know a lot more about the Chinese heritage and how they respected Buddhas, Daos and Deities. The message of peace, justice and freedom are positive values resonated with me and lots of other people from looking at the rave reviews. The message is most powerful considering how Beijing is famous for oppressing its own people. Happy Chinese New Year!
Makina's post history is 3... ALL TODAY.
Get that propaganda troll outta here. At least you could've made it sound less obvious!
jaja,
what is your point?
Makina, word to the wise: when someone calls you a propaganda troll, you generally want to deny it, not passively admit to it but challenge why they're calling you on it.
"It's clear many (if not all) of the performers and "writers" are FG members and not the talented people we should expect at these ticket prices."
I saw this show online with a Chinese Family and some chinese friends who are not Falun Gong practitioners. They all mentioned that everyone in Mainland China knows of Gaun Guamin. He is probably one of the most famous singers in China for the last 2 decades. The same situation exist with Bai Xue who also sang in the show. According to the PRC own statistics in 1998 100 million people where practicing Falun Gong. The CCP even helped to promote Falun Gong because of it's health benifits...
So is it really hard to believe that since 1 in 12 people in China were at one time practicing peacefully and now for almost a decade thier closes friends, family, spouses, etc. are being tortured to death and having thier organs harvested. (http://organharvestinvestigation.net) that they not speak out about. These people are singing and dancing, the most deep expressions of themselves, sharing with the audience the most intimate and scared part of thier heart. So what is troubling people these people?
As for talent, these artist are a section of the Chinese population, or to rephrase that statement "It's clear many (if not all) of the performers and "writers" are Jews and not the talented people we should expect at these ticket prices." how does that sound?
The people who have posted on this blog should be ashamed of themselves and are giving a voice to hatred and persecution. I am deeply ashamed for all of you, your behavior and statements can't even be-called humane, or for that matter human
Welcome to the world of internet commenters, Ashley1. Don't take them too seriously - everyone's a bad-ass behind their veil of anonymity. And thanks for the link. Disturbing, to say the least.
Hi Dan, I didn't think I was admitting to anything other than the fact that I don't mind repeating everything that I've said already. It's the best show I've ever seen, etc. Call it propaganda if you like or whatever...it doesn't bother me at all. It's just an opinion.
John, while NTDTV's affiliation with Falun Gong isn't a secret, would you be suprised to find out our tax dollars paid for this show?
In addition to receiving financial support from various Falun Dafa Associations, Falun Gong media including NTDTV have also received funding from faction of US Congress that’s considered “Blue Team” China hawks.
Most notably The Friends of Falun Gong, a quasi-government organization started by Congressman Tom Lanto’s wife, Annette Lantos, and operated by Ambassador Mark Palmer, one of the co-founders of NED:
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2001/134/145/2001-134145670-1-9.pdf (page 4, list of directors)
FoF’s non-profit filings over the years show that millions were given to various Falun Gong media outlets:
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2005/134/145/2005-134145670-028e40ed-9.pdf
John, the "orga harvesting" allegation Ashely, whom I suspect is a Falun Gong disciple, has been discredited:
- Most recently by the Ottawa Citizen:
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/observer/story.html?id=2c15d2f0-f0ab-4da9-991a-23e4094de949&p=3
- Here are undercover investigation by US government and Chinese dissident disproving it:
1) http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=April&x=20060416141157uhyggep0.5443231&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
http://www.usembassy.it/pdf/other/RL33437.pdf (section CRS-7)
2) http://www.cicus.org/info_eng/artshow.asp?ID=6491
http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20060806_1.htm
We know we struck a nerve with Beijing when Charles Liu shows up!
http://organharvestinvestigation.net/media/WesternStandard_040907.htm
http://kevinsteel.org/2007/04/09/sowing-confusion/
Sowing Confusion; Embarrassed by reports of live organ harvesting, China’s sympathizers launch a high-tech disinformation campaign
April 9, 2007 Monday
Final Edition
Kevin Steel, Western Standard, Alberta
He posts his messages everywhere under several different names on Internet blogs and discussion groups. He writes letters to the editor anywhere and sends e-mails to anyone–anyone who might take seriously shocking evidence that the Chinese government “harvests” and sells live organs from political prisoners. His main message is that the Falun Gong–the group which first brought evidence of live organ harvesting to light–and the Epoch Times newspaper that broke that story are spreading propaganda against China’s Communist government. And he’s not even Chinese. He is Charles Liu, a 40-year-old Taiwanese-born technology consultant who lives in Issaquah, Wash., and does business in China.
Liu has been so active and so pro-Beijing in his writings that some Falun Gong supporters–in particular Epoch Times reporter Jana Shearer–have accused him of being an agent for the Chinese government, waging a disinformation campaign against them, trying to confuse people, and deliberately wasting everyone’s time.
It’s a charge that upsets Liu, who dismisses it as “a bunch of kooky friends making unfounded accusations. It’s just a bunch of blog BS.” As for why he devotes so much energy to attacking the Falun Gong and the organ harvesting allegations, he says, “My position is that I simply don’t agree with their brand of politics, because I observed their politics turning from anti-Communist party, to anti-China, . . . and recently it’s morphed into this anti-Chinese hysteria and that’s going to be hurting people,” he says. As an Asian-American, he says he decided to speak up.
He doesn’t really explain, when asked, why he started a blog last year called “The Myth of Tiananmen Square Massacre” under the name of Bobby Fletcher (one of his online aliases, which he also uses to comment on the Western Standard’s online blog). On that blog, he pushes the minimal 250 casualty figure that the Chinese government has always maintained died that night in 1989 (more reliable estimates put the figure at at least ten times that).
Liu’s actions mirror disinformation campaigns waged by the Chinese government in the past. Typically, these include the deliberate spreading of false or misleading facts to sow confusion or doubt among the conflicting accounts. The classic example is the Tiananmen Square massacre; the Chinese government has maintained that no one died in the square itself, that there was only pushing and shoving on the streets around the square, resulting in a few military casualties. Overseas, the CCP relies on its United Front Work department, part of the Chinese intelligence service, to propagate its message. During the Cold War, the Soviets employed many overseas flunkies through their Disinformation Department.
Former Canadian MP David Kilgour, who co-authored a report on China’s macabre organ harvesting industry, has received many propaganda e-mails from Liu. For instance, Liu has written repeatedly that a U.S. congressional committee looked into the organ harvesting allegations and found nothing. “[David] Matas and I gave evidence to that subcommittee and got support from both the Republican chairman and the Democratic vice-chair,” says Kilgour. “I just came to the conclusion he was trying to waste my time, and I have other things to do.”
Winnipeg-based human rights lawyer, and Kilgour’s co-author, David Matas, really doesn’t know what to make of Liu. “I don’t know who he is, but what he does is spend a lot of time replicating nonsense to defend the Chinese government,” Matas says.
The only concern Matas has is that Liu seems to know who he and Kilgour met with in the United States to discuss their report. Matas discovered Liu had sent e-mails to politicians–and their staff–prior to the meetings. “The only people who would have that information would potentially be the Chinese government. I can’t imagine how Liu would know we were meeting with those people,” Matas says. “We’re not super-secretive, but you can’t find information on the Internet or in any public place about who we’re meeting with, where and when.” He himself has received at least 10 e-mails from Liu, all of which he’s ignored. Maybe Matas is onto something with that approach.
The organ harvesting reports have been discredited by no less an authority than anti-China activist Harry Wu. He doesn't believe the Falun Gong is helping it's cause by making up stories of organ harvesting. What Westerners don't seen to get is that the Falun Gong does function as a deceptive cult, with a leader who claims to heal his disciples and get them into Falun Gong paradise as long as they do exactly what he says. (He claims to know what they are thinking and doing 24/7 because he has an infinite number of "law bodies" which surround practitioners at all times.)
The most important aspect of Falun Gong practice during this period of the Fa Rectification is that each and every practitioner must work to expose the evil CCP...and it doesn't matter if the practitioners lie in the process.
The blatant mis-representation of this show to the public is just the tip of the iceberg.
For more information, check out this informative website done by a guy named Samuel Luo, whose parents are Falun Gong practitioners.
http://exposingthefalungong.org/
Here we go with the anti-Falun Gong propaganda. And it's layed on pretty thick too. FYI Falun Gong is known in the west as a meditation discipline and in China it is known as a cult along with Christianity , Buddhism and other underground religions. They say that the Dalai Lama is evil for preaching Compassion. Although China observers maintain that the CCP is a death cult having put to death some 80 million of their own people since their reign of terror in 1949. Read Mao: The Untold Story to know more about this. Falun Gong members speak about the CCP only because they are the ones persecuting them and stealing their organs. Also proven in 3 separate studies by independent experts. Just ask the Jews, the only way to stop a genocide is to talk about it and expose the atrocities. That is nothing new. Furthermore, Falun Gong members, I know many of them, and they are peaceful people who care for their family being tortured in China for their beliefs. The persecution is well documented at the UN, AI, HRW, and others. Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak, is investigation forced organ harvesting as well. It's not rare for dictorships to go overboard and make money out of the 'undesirables'...in this case carving people while they are alive and killing them in the process. The fresher the organ--the more money they get for them. Even the Nazis didn't stoop that low.
We all know that freedom of religion is a right that should be respected by all people and governments of the world. In ancient times, the elders believed that it brought prosperity to a nation.
Anyhow, punishing the victims instead of the oppressors is not the way to go!
If the artists must use their art to project a message, I'm all for it. It's been done before and the arts is the language of the heart--to express suffering is part of it.
Makini,
Falun Gong is no more a "meditation discipline" than Christianity is. Anyone who went to the Falun Gong New Years show in NYC knows that. Li Hongzhi is not only your teacher, he is your savior. In fact, Master Li says that he alone is offering salvation to mankind during this period of "Fa Rectification."
Would you care to explain what "Fa Rectification" means to this audience and how it fits in with what Westerners think of as a "meditation discipline"? Your master also teaches that homosexuals do not meet the standard of being human and that unless we give up our dirty sinful ways we will not be able to be saved during his Fa Rectification process. Does that sound like a "meditation discipline" to you?
also, in the chinese "Zhuan Fa Lun" text, it says that race should be pure, and it looks down on inter-racial couples and kids. I bet you didn't know that, cause they took that out of the english text to attract westerners.
MGL, feel free to interpret any teachings of any religions/spiritualities how you see fit. For example "Drink my blood" from the bible doesn't sound that great at first unless you understand the meaning embedded in that principle. But people can find just about anything wrong with diverse beliefs. That is why freedom of religion is so important to us all.
What strikes me the most about Falun Gong is how they are facing a brutal persecution by the Communist regime without violence.
M,
I'm not interpreting Li's teachings, just reporting them. Li tells his followers that his Fa Rectification process will weed out certain categories of people, while those who practice FG will be saved. Li also tells his followers they must work to destroy the evil and wicked Chinese Communist Party in order to reach "consumation" (salvation).
Given these facts, I think it's misleading to allow the "meditation discipline" label to apply to the FG, unless we at least qualify it. Falun Gong has always been about Li's ideas on how corrupt mankind has become and how only he can provide salvation while the cosmos is undergoing a fundamental change based on Li's moral principles.
This particular Gothamist article is how the Falun Gong New Year's show turned out to be a piece of agitprop. Since most people are not familiar with Li Hongzhi's teachings, isn't it important to explain why his practitioners (which includes the people who put on this show once a year) MUST propagandize against the CCP? If you don't believe me, here are the Master's words own words on this subject:
"So when you clarify the truth you absolutely must not speak at too high of a level. Right now when you clarify the truth you only need to talk about the persecution of Dafa disciples, how the evil party has been violating the human rights and the freedom of belief of the Chinese people, how historically the evil party has persecuted the Chinese people and the people of the countries belonging to the wicked Communist bloc, and how it is persecuting Dafa disciples today in the same way. And that's enough. As for high-level cultivation and gods, you shouldn't talk about those things."
Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005 (November 5, 2005)
http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/12/4/67552.html
And before we lose site of the facts of the case, let's get more facts out in the open.
Like the two Falun Gong "operatives" that have been commenting here - Jana Shearer and Makina Beauregard.
If you Google their names with key words like "Dafa", "Epoch Times", you'll see these two are intimately involved with Falun Gong's blosphere propagda - Jana Shearer is a Falun Gong spokesperson, a Epoch Times reporter, for example.
I have had numerous of run-ins with Jana Shearer, as well as other blogers. She basically makes accusation she can't back up, in the hopes to intimidate and silence Falun Gong's critics:
http://falungongpolitics.blogspot.com/2007/04/epoch-times-reporters-gone-wild.html
Take the Western Standard article, from a paper that ceased printing - there's not a shred of proof, only baseless insinuations.
Makina, please let your dear Mr. Matas know that the only reason I am able to send complaint letters about him is because disciples like you promote the hell out of his Falun Gong sponsored appearances.
There's no spycraft necessary.
Hey Charles and green tree, Maybe the both of you should go see the show tonight. Then you could truly comment on it. It seems that the handful of people who didn't like the show are all on this blog. The rave reviews speak for themselves guys!
Religious freedom is a gift from heaven that I cherish very much and I'm not about to debate Falun Gong or the Dalai Lama's teachings either. I'll leave that up to the skeptics! All I know is that I truly respect the principle of truth, compassion, tolerance, peace and justice which is central to China's ancient culture and that of Falun Gong.
And I really liked the way those values were transmitted in the show with the 3-d backdrop and the mini-dramas. Especially the scene about Falun Gong--a real eye opener and the Fruit of goodness is about two punks who go in the temple and come out with greater respect for the deities. Lots of lessons to be learned from this ancient history unless you're watching it with eyes what shut or with hatred in your heart because some of the artists happened to be Falun Gong Jews.
Makina,
In the West, you are free to believe whatever you want; no one is faulting you for your beliefs. But your attempts to side-step the point of this discussion are obvious. The Falun Gong has once again deceived the public by misrepresenting the content of its annual show, thus alienating people who might otherwise have been your allies. If practitioners have difficulty being honest about basic things like what their annual show is about, how can the general public believe you when you say that the CCP condones live organ harvesting of FG practitioners?
Anti-China critic Harry Wu has made the same point about the fabrication of organ harvesting stories by the FG. You don't consider Harry Wu an agent of the evil CCP, do you? Of course not, he is one of your natural allies. But even he has criticized your group for its tendency to bend the truth in order to achieve its political goals.
MGL,
I'm not sure who's been off topic here, because most of the posters seem to be simply about bashing Falun Gong and not about the show. Yes they do have the right to practice their faith here with constant harassment from the communist party. They also exercise their ability to express their Chinese experience through the performing arts spectacular at which they excel. Imagine that! BTW great operas and ballets have depicted historical events for centuries on stage--this is nothing new--think about the Last Emperor!
Do they get criticized for doing it? Nope
But judging by the rave reviews, more than a good few people just loved the show.
http://en.epochtimes.com/211,134,,1.html
Why is that whereever Falun Gong's agiprop theater goes, they hide the fact it is Falun Gong?
Same thing happened in LA:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-chinese7jan07,0,2804410.story
When Sound of Hope put on the show last March, their Chicago station manager Yi Liu lied about SoH having no association with FLG:
http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200703/1172761137.html
Why is Falun Gong so ashamed of their religion and politics?
Hmm! I've never seen any promo material from other shows saying: Oh! this show is Christian, or this one is Jewish or Protestant.
Only anti-Falun Gong people would think of asking that type of question that Charles just asked. It's to make people feel ashamed of themselves. Another tactic of a true pro-Beijing propagandist.
However, I seem to recall that they've said all along that it's put on by non-communist Chinese. That tells a story in itself.
So Charles Liu you can stop slandering Falun Gong anytime now. Your information is outdated and your spin is nefarious and boring.
During the Q & A session for his 2007 NY speech to his disciples, Master Li mused on why these shows have not been doing so well and announced he would take charge of them himself:
"In previous years it was all done by you, the Dafa disciples. Each year after I watched it, however, I felt at once both happy and unsatisfied. Dafa disciples expended a lot of financial, material, and human resources on each year's Chinese New Year show, and the persons involved were usually core members of various projects. So if we didn't achieve our desired results, it would really be a net loss, and not worth it.
Even during the show I heard sarcastic comments, and theater-goers said all sorts of things as they were exiting the show--meaning that the desired result was not achieved. ....Later on I thought it over for a while, pondering: "Should we continue to hold the show? If the results stay the same, it can't go on. Dafa disciples haven't been doing all of this to give ordinary people entertainment. If it can't save people after our having expended so many human, material, and financial resources on it--and it is being done in multiple areas--then it can't continue."
Later, when I weighed it carefully, I saw that there were indeed some persons with talent in this area among our Dafa disciples, and who had always wanted to validate the Fa in this capacity. They all had a similar desire. Of course, I'm talking about it at the surface level. So I thought: "Since that's the situation, I'll just go ahead and take the lead on this." (/Applause/)
... That is why once I decided to do this, everything changed--the audience members before us, the people I wanted to save, and the affair itself that was to be carried out. If this was to be done well, then it must achieve the best results and truly save and rescue people. Only then would I do it, and this had to be achieved. So I couldn't do things as before. Before, Dafa disciples were doing the show part time, and now, if it was to be done, it had to be high caliber. Of course, some people said, "Whatever Master does is sure to be done the very best."
During the Q & A session for his 2007 NY speech to his disciples, Master Li mused on why these shows have not been doing so well and announced he would take charge of them himself:
"In previous years it was all done by you, the Dafa disciples. Each year after I watched it, however, I felt at once both happy and unsatisfied. Dafa disciples expended a lot of financial, material, and human resources on each year's Chinese New Year show, and the persons involved were usually core members of various projects. So if we didn't achieve our desired results, it would really be a net loss, and not worth it.
Even during the show I heard sarcastic comments, and theater-goers said all sorts of things as they were exiting the show--meaning that the desired result was not achieved. ....Later on I thought it over for a while, pondering: "Should we continue to hold the show? If the results stay the same, it can't go on. Dafa disciples haven't been doing all of this to give ordinary people entertainment. If it can't save people after our having expended so many human, material, and financial resources on it--and it is being done in multiple areas--then it can't continue."
Later, when I weighed it carefully, I saw that there were indeed some persons with talent in this area among our Dafa disciples, and who had always wanted to validate the Fa in this capacity. They all had a similar desire. Of course, I'm talking about it at the surface level. So I thought: "Since that's the situation, I'll just go ahead and take the lead on this." (/Applause/)
... That is why once I decided to do this, everything changed--the audience members before us, the people I wanted to save, and the affair itself that was to be carried out. If this was to be done well, then it must achieve the best results and truly save and rescue people. Only then would I do it, and this had to be achieved. So I couldn't do things as before. Before, Dafa disciples were doing the show part time, and now, if it was to be done, it had to be high caliber. Of course, some people said, "Whatever Master does is sure to be done the very best."
This was a beautiful show, and a representation of authentic Chinese culture without the influence of communism.
Since 1949, when the communists took over mainland China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has done its best to ruin 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture. This was especially true during the Cultural Revolution 1966–1976 and since.
Unfortunately, the CCP has been very effective in destroying traditional Chinese culture in mainland China.
New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV), through its news media, and especially through the Chinese New Year Spelendor/Spectacular, which is scheduled to appear in more than 60 cities worldwide and be seen by about half a million during those shows, aims to restore traditional Chinese culture.
The U.S. State Department, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have been documenting that the human rights situation in mainland China continues to deteriorate, with it lack of freedom of speech and its persecution of Muslims, Christians, and Falun Gong.
I don't know why people have to look at a show with such suspicious mind. It's a show, so what it has Falun Gong contents? Those people too have their right to speak up in any form they like.
I went to the show last year with my family when the group toured Taipei. It was a show with the Chinese culture we were familiar with and could appreciate. My sister loved it. I didn't know if she noticed the FG content or not, I did, but it didn't bother me. I bought three tickets for my husband and his coworkers, one of the girl from the US loved it- the singings, the costumes, the beautiful and graceful dances, and of course the spiritual content.
I guess I what I am trying to say is that I can't really understand why FG put up a show with a little FG information can be an issue. I think Christians sing about Jesus in their songs; Dalai Lama goes on in his book telling people how Tibetans were mistreated.
Teagirl,
The NTDTV Falun Gong show is not produced to entertain people or merely to show the cultural history of China. Master Li Hongzhi is quite clear about that:
"Dafa disciples haven't been doing all of this to give ordinary people entertainment. If it can't save people after our having expended so many human, material, and financial resources on it--and it is being done in multiple areas--then it can't continue."
In fact, the show is an exercise in promoting a political agenda (the destruction of the CCP) and a spiritual/religious agenda (only Li's DAFA can save mankind during this period of Fa Rectification.)
If the producers of the show were to be honest about what the show is about, you guys would not have had hundreds of angry people leaving your show in disgust, as the New York Times reported. Your analogy to Jesus and the Dalai Lama is correct, but I guess you don't see where that logic would lead you. Yes, the Falun Gong show is about the salvation Li Hongzhi offers mankind and yes, having that content is an OK thing. What is not OK is the blatant misrepresentation of this content to the general public.
I am a Falun Gong practitioner who has pledged to promote “Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance.”
We, the performers in the show and volunteers passing out fliers, are all Falun Gong practitioners. We worked very hard for FREE to bring you this spectacular play so you can have a meaningful evening. We did not mention Falun Gong in advertisement only because we don’t want to be seen as advertising the group. We just want to do good; we don’t care about the name. We charge money for the show only because we need this money to do good things around the world. This money has been donated to charities. We do not keep a penny. Don’t ask me for proof; we donated this money without leaving a name. Like I said, we don’t care about name and money.
This show is not like anything you have ever seen, in addition to purifying your mind it can also purify your body! That is right, this show has healing power, check out what a Canadian reporter said about the healing power of the show: http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/295651
I am going to tell you some heavenly secrets that you are not allowed to know at this point. Do you know that without our Master Li Hongzhi this cosmos would not exist? In March, 2002 Master Li said: “No being knows who I am. Yet without me, the cosmos wouldn't exist.” How do I know what he said is true? I know it is true because the Master said so.
I am no ordinary human being. No Falun Gong practitioners are ordinary human beings. We are all future gods. How do I know that? Master Li, in Los Angeles on February 15, 2003, told us that he has borne the sins we have committed over hundreds and thousands of years. He also said: “I will also save you and turn you into Gods.” Our master has the highest power in the whole cosmos, whatever he says must be true.
I am not going to hell! I know that for a fact because my master says so. In February, 2006 Master Li told us that “I told you early on that I removed the name of every single Dafa disciple (this is another term referring to Faluh Gong practitioners) from Hell's list. Every ordinary person is listed in that registry. I have removed the names of Dafa disciples from Hell's registry. I had their names removed from Hell. So your names are not there. In other words, you are not in any way beings of the Three Realms, and you are no longer ordinary persons.”
I hope you now understand why this show is precious. It is performed by future gods. It kills bacteria that make your feet stink and starves the cancer cells in your body to death, go get yourself a ticket, while they last.
lol @ David Tam, whatever you said was good entertainment.
lol @ David Tam, whatever you said was good entertainment. Did you even read the article you linked about the healing power of this particular performance?
and i quote the article, "Art it wasn't. The choreography was consistently banal, with the performers arranged in rows doing identical gestures. The dancers were under-rehearsed and unremarkable. Only the men in the chopstick dance left any impression of dancing or acrobatic ability."...."And furthermore, this reviewer left the theatre with all her aches and pains intact."
i guess your show's healing power really did wonders eh?
That only tells me that David Tam is not who he pretends to be. It's just another attempt to ridicule the teachings by excerpting pieces of it and telling wild tales. Any teachings from any religious/spiritual textbooks take on a different meaning when taken out of context.
It wouldn't be the first time that anti-Falun Gong people gather on one single blog to turn the public opinion against the Falun Gong Jews. David's spin has been rehearsed for this special purpose.
A cousin of Charles Liu? More than likely.
http://kevinsteel.org/2007/04/09/sowing-confusion/
TAM, You say to get your last ticket to the show...somebody should tell you that the last show was yesterday, Saturday! See below the great finale! How can a performer in the show not know that...unless they were a fake! TAM is also short for Tiananmen which happens to be one of Charles Liu's five blogs which sole purpose is to defame Falun Gong and discredit the reports on forced organ harvesting by the regime. What a surprise!
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-2-10/65770.html
'Splendor' Rings in Chinese New Year, Ends Big 15-show Run at Radio City
Epoch Times New York Staff - Feb 10, 2008
NEW YORK—The full house at Radio City Music Hall gave a standing ovation to the Chinese New Year Splendor on Saturday, Feb. 9.
...
The two pieces that depict the persecution of Falun Gong, "The Risen Lotus Flower" and "The Power of Awareness" were mentioned by many audience members as their favorites.
Amerigo Fabbri, Dean of Pierson College and professor of modernist literature at Yale University, talked about "The Risen Lotus Flower."
"You have the three women in prison and how one of them gives her life for the other two, these are great, great elements of the culture that are certainly conveyed by the show," he said.
On his overall impression, Fabbri said, "The show is spectacular, I mean amazing. They're doing a great job bringing together the history of Chinese culture. The sound effects, the visual effects, the special effects, the singing, and the dancing is just amazing."
Leiahi, I got the wrong article. The one I want you to read is this one: http://clokeei-movie.blogspot.com/2007/10/ntdtvs-global-chinese-new-year.html. It is written by Dr. Jason Liu who is a Neuroscientist. In the article he says: “Another reason why I sponsor this event is because there is a spiritually uplifting energy in these wonderful music performances. It is actually a healing energy. I am a doctor of Oriental Medicine and also have a western degree in Neuroscience. I practice vibrational energy medicine as my profession, and I am very sensitive to healing vibrations. The pure energy produced during these shows is very powerful. During the entire show, I find my mind, body and soul are deeply resonating with the music waves. I realized that this is not just a show for entertainment, it goes way beyond ordinary art performances.”
Dr. Jason Liu is a scientist; he knows what he is talking about. The healing effect is evidently too difficult for that Canadian reporter to detect. Plus, she is mean. Everyone who has seen the show has praised it as the highest performance on Broadway. If it is not that good how can it be allowed to play in the prestigious Radio City Music Hall? This reporter might have been brought by the evil Chinese government.
The Healing power of the Falun Gong has been documented. You can read Dr. Jason Liu’s study at this address: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2007/8/24/88865.html. Or you can also read the health survey of more than ten thousand plus practitioners in Beijing at this address: http://www.pureinsight.org/pi/index.php?news=184. As you can see the Falun Gong has the healing rate of 99.1%, higher than any hospital in the world. Because of the miraculous healing power of the Falun Gong most of us no longer need medical treatment which in turn saved us tons of dollars. You should also practice Falun Gong. It will transform your life.
Hi mrgreenleaf,
:D how do singings and dancings destroy the CCP? FG can't be that naive, no, at least not those people who are capable of put on a show like that, and not those who last this many years of the government's suppression.
A brochure has limited space and can't possibly have details of every program. As long as the show performs what is in the brochure, the show is not a rip-off. Like a movie trailer, it gives you the most thrilling moments in the movie, and the rest, good luck.
Now let's talk about the New York Times, I read that article and believe that everyone is entitled to his/her feeling and ways to look at things. But a few hundred left the show (the reporter didn't say they left with anger BTW), how did the reporter count that number? and the reporter can't possibly know what they all were thinking at the moment- he only interviewed one of them, I think. some people might have left because they were bored, just like in any movie theater.
Hi mrgreenleaf,
:D how do singings and dancings destroy the CCP? FG can't be that naive, no, at least not those people who are capable of put on a show like that, and not those who last this many years of the government's suppression.
A brochure has limited space and can't possibly have details of every program. As long as the show performs what is in the brochure, the show is not a rip-off. Like a movie trailer, it gives you the most thrilling moments in the movie, and the rest, good luck.
Now let's talk about the New York Times, I read that article and believe that everyone is entitled to his/her feeling and ways to look at things. But a few hundred left the show (the reporter didn't say they left with anger BTW), how did the reporter count that number? and the reporter can't possibly know what they all were thinking at the moment- he only interviewed one of them, I think. some people might have left because they were bored, just like in any movie theater.
Makina how did I ridicule the teachings? We all know that Master Li has suffered so much in saving humankind. Why can’t we give him the credit that he deserves? These statements are available online anyway; I am not saying anything that I should not be saying here. I did not claim to be a performer in the show. These fellow practitioners took only about six months of training, part time, for the show. I simply can not be ready in such a hurry. I knew the show closed yesterday, but in my mind the show go on forever.
Makina you are being argumentative here. A piece of advice for you--keep in mind the principles of Compassion and Tolerance. You can not force others to interpret the Master’s teachings in certain way and you should not criticize others because she looks at issues differently. All we can do is spreading the Master’s great law as far as we could. Our mission is to save all sentient being, if we see them as enemies how can we save them?
Remember the Master’s words, he said: “Dafa disciples must try to save the world's people and save sentient beings.”
http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:UDvcLVvyPRAJ:falundafa.com/book/eng/jw_155.htm+dafa+Disciple+save+sentient+being&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us Even though all ordinary human beings are incapable of seeing the truth of the universe; we, the enlightened ones, must try our best to save them.
TAM, you are just confusing people by quoting the teachings. Charles Liu keeps repeating the same lines about practitioners not living up to truth compassion and tolerance as you do. Hmmm! There is something wrong with this picture!
TAM, I hate to break the news to you but you're not fooling anyone. You may speak like a monk but you are no practitioner. So you can stop playing this game anytime now. Faking it will lead you nowhere.
For anyone who is watch this Blog let me state the obvious. Mr Green Leaf and Charles Liu are both people who do not think with their own minds. The are being led along by the consulates and are working to further themselves by aiding the persecution of Falun Gong. Whatever they claim they cannot deny that thousands of innocent people have been murdered by the CCP for their faith. This is something that cannot be ignored no matter how they lie or cook up accusations or falsehoods. The real life cases of people who I have met in person have brought me to tears over and over again.
These people are being tortured to death for their beliefs. As human beings we have the right to believe whatever we choose to and that is not an excuse to kill, harm or otherwise persecute others. This is not an issue of who believes what, but an issue of fundamental human rights... I don't care what these spies have to say, STOP KILLING MY FELLOW PRACTITIONERS AND LET THEM PRACTICE THIER BELIEFS! FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND RELIGION!
Ashley
For anyone who is watch this Blog let me state the obvious. Mr Green Leaf and Charles Liu are both people who do not think with their own minds. The are being led along by the consulates and are working to further themselves by aiding the persecution of Falun Gong. Whatever they claim they cannot deny that thousands of innocent people have been murdered by the CCP for their faith. This is something that cannot be ignored no matter how they lie or cook up accusations or falsehoods. The real life cases of people who I have met in person have brought me to tears over and over again.
These people are being tortured to death for their beliefs. As human beings we have the right to believe whatever we choose to and that is not an excuse to kill, harm or otherwise persecute others. This is not an issue of who believes what, but an issue of fundamental human rights... I don't care what these spies have to say, STOP KILLING MY FELLOW PRACTITIONERS AND LET THEM PRACTICE THIER BELIEFS! FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND RELIGION!
Ashley
Ashley,
What a bombastic diatribe! Because I question the honesty of the Falun Gong you accuse me of being a Chinese spy and a murderer. Can't you do better than that? Remember: the topic we are discussing here is how the Chinese New Year show turned out to a surprising piece of Falun Gong agitprop. Hundreds of people walked out...are they Chinese spies as well? If all you can do is attack your critics, I'm not interested.
Makina, we practice the same exercises and study the same Dafa (great law), what makes you a practitioner but I am a fake. Stop making these unfounded accusations.
Hi Everyone,
Just want to say I saw the show last year and I personally thought the show was very good.
I went with my parents and they enjoyed the show.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion I respect that.
If you buy a ticket to a show because of what ever reason and you leave thinking that, that was a good show and I enjoyed it, then I think that's great.
I was thinking that when we buy a ticket to go to the movies, or watch a ball game etc, do we think, hey, the sponsors of those or the owners are just doing it to make money etc or do we go cause we want to go and experience that movie or ball game?
You walk out of those experiences thinking of what ever you want, only you know what you thought of it.
I don't understand the negative comments. It's well-documented that Falun Gong has been severly persecuted in Communist China since 1999. Why would anyone lash out at the victims?
I saw the show and commend Falun Gong for putting together such an outstanding performance. Most of the show demonstrates traditional Chinese culture, which is really amazing, so you're only talking about a very small segment that mentions the persecution. So what if they use performance media to demonstrate the human rights abuses they are suffering? Shouldn't we care more about how badly these people are being treated than complain about how seeing their suffering makes us uncomfortable. Have we really become that selfish?
Hello everyone!
I want to share with all the article that will greatly contribute to the right understanding of the issue.
New York Times' Attempt to Mislead Fails
By Fang Hong
(Clearwisdom.net) As time goes by, we have seen that when the Chinese Communist Party reveals its evil nature and attempts to interfere, it produces the opposite of its intended effect every time.
America is a free society and everyone is capable of judging things for themselves. Living in one of the art and fashion capitals of the world, New Yorkers are exposed to a broad range of styles in theater, dance, and musical events, and they have sophisticated tastes in art. In the past two weeks, people of diverse ethnic backgrounds, as well as visiting Mainland Chinese, have warmly embraced the Chinese New Year Splendor presented by the Divine Performing Arts at Radio City Music Hall. Interestingly, many audience members have said over the past few days that a misleading article entitled, "A Glimpse of Chinese Culture That Some Find Hard to Watch" in the New York Times aroused their curiosity and led them to come out and watch the show. They were pleasantly surprised to discover that the Splendor was quite different from what was described in the article.
Suzanne English from southern New Jersey took her three children to the show after she read the Times article. Afterwards, she praised it enthusiastically, saying that Truth-Compassion-Tolerance would benefit everyone. She said she was upset at the Times, as it had done a grave injustice to the show.
An executive of a New York transportation company said he came to the show after having read the article. He knew about the persecution of Falun Gong and simply ignored the irresponsible report. He was excited after watching the show in the afternoon of February 9, saying that the performance was excellent and well worth the trip.
On the day the article was published, a woman arrived at Radio City carrying a copy of the New York Times with her. During the intermission, she said to a Chinese man sitting next to her, "Did you read the New York Times article? They said this show was very 'political', but I didn't care. For me, even if the Times says it's 'political', I have no problem with that. The show is fabulous."
Nevertheless, it's a loss for those who have been brainwashed by the Communist Party's propaganda (especially people from Mainland China), or people who don't know the truth due to various reasons, because these people were misled even more by the New York Times article. They missed a marvelous performance of Chinese traditional culture, which is free of Communist Party culture.
What's done in the dark will come to light. Some are wondering what kind of relationship exists between the CCP and the New York Times that would lead to such a report, which is eerily similar to what would appear in the Communist Party's own media, to be published. In addition to casting the Splendor in a negative light through its biased tone, the author also emphasized and exaggerated a small fraction of the audience's reactions while ignoring the vast majority of the overwhelmingly positive feedback, and presented the few as representing the whole. This violates both ethical and professional standards. The article also reveals that, although the author and his editor at the Times know how to cater to the Communist regime, they indeed know very little about the broad and profound traditional Chinese culture that is free of the influence of the Communist Party culture. They know nothing about the true history and reality of China, as many Splendor programs such as Yue Fei and Mulan are household names--legends that have been passed down through generations.
The subsequent events provide a hint regarding the author's agenda. Shortly after the Times article came out, the Communist Party mouthpiece Xinhua News Agency reprinted it with a lot of fanfare in an effort to rescue the sinking ship of the CCP by deceiving the Chinese population, which has no access to free information. In America, however, the audience sees the Splendor simply for what it is--a world-class performance. The truth is, the Splendor is becoming a global phenomenon, and many Chinese people feel proud of their heritage after watching the show.
A media outlet that seeks respect from its readers must show respect for professional ethics. In this article, the New York Times let down its readers by distorting the facts, thereby destroying its own credibility. Many people who read the report and decided to watch the Splendor anyway have already taken their own stand, which is a silent, yet powerful answer to the report.
The New York Times and the mostly ethnic Chinese people it interviewed in the article are also victims of the Party's lies, and the biggest victims are the Mainland Chinese. Falun Gong practitioners have helped more people see through the Communist Party's facade over the years, as the Party itself rapidly disintegrates amidst the wave of withdrawals from its membership.
In this free society, the article has ended up leading more people to the Chinese New Year Splendor, as demonstrated by the fact that the Splendor enjoyed packed houses in the days following its publication. In this regard, the group that seeks to interfere with what's good and righteous has once again shot itself in the foot.
I have seen it last year, it is a wonderful show definitely.
Hi, all
I have seen it last year, it is a wonderful show definitely.
TAM, anti-Falun Gong forums are full of fakes such as yourself. Behind your evangelical approach (interlaced with lies), I suspect the goal is to make Falun Gong practitioners appear a little bit extreme -- your spiel is surely a testimony of that -- and to slip in Communist Party propaganda is key for you guys! BTW quoting the great law all over the place like you're doing is a dead give away that you are a fake deliberately attempting to damage Falun Gong. Quit while you're ahead TAM! It's not worth it to go that far just to please the communist party. What will be your reward in the end? More empty promises...
I wasn't going to do anymore posts here, but I have to comment that Fang Hong's allegation above that the New York Times is in league with the Chinese Communist Party because it published a critical review of the Falun Gong show is laughable. At least you guys are consistent: any time anyone points out your mendacity you accuse that person (or newspaper) of being a CCP spy or supporter. These kinds of tactics won't get you more support for your cause of destroying the CCP, they will only make people more suspicious of what you say.
MGL, What you might not know is that Beijing's long arm just gets longer and longer when it comes to harassing Falun Gong overseas and this has got everyone working overtime. For example, many informants/spies are working online to defame Falun Gong, so this might explain some on the reactions on these posters. Many defectors have confirmed this abundance of spies/informants working in the States, Canada, Australia, etc.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/opinion/story.html?id=fd8a3314-69a0-4ab4-8089-5f099850000a
Since being granted asylum by Australia, Chen Yonglin has travelled to other Western countries, bearing the same warning message regarding Chinese state harassment of dissidents and Chinese espionage. He brought it to Canada recently, reigniting concern about China's overseas operations.
Chen Yonglin may sound like an alarmist, but his claims have plausibility. They have been corroborated by other defectors from China and match the reported experience of Falun Gong adherents in the West. Since declaring war on the Falun Gong as a dangerous "cult" in 1999, the Chinese regime has pursued its members with a vengeance and ferocity that is difficult to fathom. The Chinese regard Falun Gong as one of the five "poisonous" movements threatening Chinese state security -- the others are secessionist and ethnic movements such as those that champion Tibetan or Taiwanese independence.
MGL, China's influence over mainstream media is real. Take a look.
How China’s Propaganda Machine Tries to Fool the World
http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/7/8/133729.shtml
Fooling the World: An Investigation Report on the CCP's Foreign Propaganda System Making Ideoloy Infiltration and Spreading Hatred and Lies Among the International Communities (Jan. 2006) The Full report is available on this website-on the right hand side.
http://www.shric.org/
1.3 The Key United Front Objects That Foreign Propaganda Organizations Should Target
The research group of "the research on efficient foreign propaganda" of Xinhua News Agency believes "The main targets of foreign propaganda should be the middle and upper class in the target countries, including politicians, people in business circles and intellectuals because they control either the political or the economic power and have the influence on the ideology and public opinion of those countries. Our media outlets responsible for foreign propaganda should focus on the mainstream media in the target countries. Based on our own features and characteristics, we should enhance the communications and collaboration with them. Especially, we should make friends with the famous people in foreign media. We should have intimate relationship with them, and do well the work of foreign propaganda with their help." [35]
"Moreover, overseas Chinese and Chinese students studying abroad are another group of people deserving attention from overseas propaganda departments… Presently, there are over tens of millions of overseas Chinese and Chinese students studying abroad; many of them have become part of the mainstream society, sometimes even quite influential elites. Foreigners generally learn about China through overseas Chinese. Therefore, overseas Chinese bridge China and the outside world in a unique manner." [35]
The Jamestown Foundation also has more great reports about this and China's disinformation campaign.
Can some body put leashes on these Falun Gong attack dogs? What a group of peaceful meditatators.
Hey T, I'd like to see how you would handle it if you were the one being chased down, tortured and murdered by China's red army just because you are trying to be a pacific meditator or a religious believer?
Makina, what lies did I make about the teachings of Falun Gong? And what Chinese government propaganda did I slip in? Do you care to back your accusations? Do you even know how ridiculously outrageous you are.
I see, so being chased, tortured and murdered by the Chinese authority gives you the rights to lie and silence others. How do I know that your chased, tortured and murdered by the Chinese authority story is not another lie?
Sorry for the repetition.
To Madina,
I see. So being chased down, tortured and murdered by China's red army gives you guys the right to chase down others like attack dogs. Does also give you guys the right to lie and silence others? How do I know that your story of being chased down, tortured and murdered is real?
testing
I have no dog in this fight.
But I note that Makina started off by commenting "I thought the show was beautiful from start to finish. I've seen it twice and it gets better each time..." without disclosing that he/she is clearly not just an impartial audience member. That's deceptive, as is pitching an advocacy piece as a culture show.
T. You have it wrong -- it's the oppressors (CCP) that should be put on a leash and punished --not the victims (Falun Gong)!
Right not what you see is that the victims are screaming for help while the genocide is still ongoing in China. Loads of communist spies/informants play the role of the black hands behind the scene trying to keep the victims muzzled on the internet (just one example) so that they want expose the atrocities that they've suffered a the hand of the CCP. Ask the Jews what this feels like?
The CCP and their helpers are the ones lying to you.
The whole story is right here.
http://organharvestinvestigation.net
And Check U Tube for more about Chinese spies in America:
Let's Give China Everything
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tHq82qupNs
I’ve been doing reporting at the Chinese new year Spectacular in SF. I was present at all of the 7 performances in SF. I haven’t seen anyone leaving the theater except two couples with small kids. I’ve interviewed many people and nobody had a negative reaction. On the contrary, people were very excited, commented on the uniqueness of the show, its high professionalism, etc. Many people were talking about their appreciation of artistic presentation of Falun Gong practitioners’ sufferings. Quite a few even shed tears, men included.
Just go to the web and check out the reports about real people with their names, professions, whereabouts, etc.
Here are just two out of many:
http://www.thenewamerican.com/node/6981
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-2-10/65770.html
It is sad that you people don’t have compassion towards other human beings for their unimaginable sufferings. Maybe it's because you‘ve never felt pain for others, just do not have this organ, or receptor, which, fortunately, is not missing in your fellow citizens. And that gives hope….
E.
The show is for everyone including Falun Gong. I think one should be free to comment about it regardless of who they are. I'm not one of the sponsors and even if I was, I don't think people would expect a sponsor to badmouth the show.
Sapo,
You saw the Chinese New Year Spectacular in S.F. seven times because you are a Falun Gong practitioner. I find the comments of your fellow practitioners (those who make personal attacks against others) very disgusting. Your statement that us--those who complained about the dishonesty of your group--“don’t have compassion towards other human beings” is outrageous. You guys have taken over public space to display and distribute your religious and political stuff; even misleading people into spending hundreds of their hard earn money to watch your garbage. Yet, you guys have the nerve to accuse people who complained about this deception of being Chinese spies.
I understand that you guys have a long history of suppressing critics. I spent the last two hours reading online. This website: http://exposingthefalungong.org/fgban01.html provides undisputable information on the subject.
Sapo, I followed those two links you provided. The first one goes to an article written by a guy who only writes pro-Falun Gong stuff, and the other goes to the falun gong mouth piece—the Epoch Times. It seems that your show really sucks—no positive reports from independent reviewers.
Being persecuted in China does not give you guys the right to lie to Americans. The lack of creditability is your main problem. All these exaggerated claims of being torture, even genocide, is just a way of soliciting sympathy from uninformed people.
"no positive reports from independent reviewers" - this is not true, as all other stuff you put in under the noble name "True" that does not apply to you in the least.
I do not want to waste my time to refute your hatred.
Here are only some of many "independent" positive reviews:
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/sanfran/
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/24/NS61UI249.DTL
http://www.sfbaytimes.com/?sec=article&article_id=7v492
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=5305
http://phoenix.about.com/od/entermusic/a/ChineseNewYear_2.htm
http://www.sfbaytimes.com/?sec=article&article_id=7492
http://www.thenewamerican.com/node/6981
Sapo
I clicked on all the links.
The first one is positive about the show.
The second is just a reporting of the event which says nothing about the performance.
The third one goes to a blank page.
The fourth one praised the virtual effect of the show.
The fifth and sixth are not written as reviews but advertisements of the show.
The last one is written by that guy who only writes pro-falun gong stuff.
Just two half-way decent reviews! Your show still sucks. And you guys lied to fill the sits. Next time why don’t you promote the show under its real name Falun Gong New Year’s Spectacular, let’s see how many sits you can fill.
Makina, Sapo, Ashleys and fellow practitioners,
Evidently you have failed to protect the reputation of the group here. Linking Americans who disagree with us to the evil Chinese government and touting our victim status don’t always work to shut people up. In fact it might make them suspicious about our credibility. The persecution is our most powerful PR weapon; touting it here is like killing a chicken with the chainsaw.
I know why these people are disagreeing with us, they are gays and lesbians. Only homos are inherently evil according to our master. T, Greenleaf and others, you are homos, one of the world’s ten evils as the master puts it. http://falundafa.org/book/eng/HongYinVB.htm#_Toc110877614
You creatures are turning the society into something demonic. What is awaiting you, as the master states, is a slow and painful annihilation, “one is annihilated in an extremely painful way.” http://www.falundafa.org/book/eng/switzerland1998.htm
Don’t get me wrong, I am not homophobic. I “gayed” before practicing the Falnu Gong. As long as you stop having XXX with people who pee the same way you do, our master will save you. Got to go, the Falun wheel that Master Li planted in my abdomen is rotating, that means my body is being cleansed. Remember, Falun Gong upholds Compassion, Truthfulness and Tolerance.
I saw the show last year. I looked at the content and messages that it presented, and thought that they were good, peaceful messages for humankind. The quality of the production was high, the audience was entertained.
I am a Falun Gong practitioner. I'm a nice guy, pretty normal, in my heart I lead a very spiritual life. That's ok by my friends, my wife (who doesn't practice Falun Gong) and family, who also saw and enjoyed the show.
A lot of the conversations here are pretty theoretical... There are plenty of people who have seen the show and liked it, who have gotten to know Falun Gong practitioners and like them.
I'd suggest to others who are unsure what to think here, to go and meet some Falun Gong practitioners, to go and see the show.
I saw the show last year. I looked at the content and messages that it presented, and thought that they were good, peaceful messages for humankind. The quality of the production was high, the audience was entertained.
I am a Falun Gong practitioner. I'm a nice guy, pretty normal, in my heart I lead a very spiritual life. That's ok by my friends, my wife (who doesn't practice Falun Gong) and family, who also saw and enjoyed the show.
A lot of the conversations here are pretty theoretical... There are plenty of people who have seen the show and liked it, who have gotten to know Falun Gong practitioners and like them.
I'd suggest to others who are unsure what to think here, to go and meet some Falun Gong practitioners, to go and see the show.
Good job Ed, this is the kind of rational approach I am looking for. We should touch them with our hearts, so they will pay to come see us.
My good friends, David Tam is a specially trained agent for the chinese communist party. He was trained in Beijing specifically to act as a Falun Gong Practitioner and exaggerate and distort the teaching to turn public opinion against the practice. This type of dreg of humanity is very hard to deal with as he is very well educated, possibly even a Master degree, thereby coming across as even more believable to simple-minded westerners.
I just want to point this out to our naive readers who may not go the extra step to find out the real truth behind the words this special agent from the chinese government has spoken.
David Tam is Not a Falun Gong Practitioner and neither are the words he has spoken representative of the practice.
Good Day
My good friends, David Tam is a specially trained agent for the chinese communist party. He was trained in Beijing specifically to act as a Falun Gong Practitioner and exaggerate and distort the teaching to turn public opinion against the practice. This type of dreg of humanity is very hard to deal with as he is very well educated, possibly even a Master degree, thereby coming across as even more believable to simple-minded westerners.
I just want to point this out to our naive readers who may not go the extra step to find out the real truth behind the words this special agent from the chinese government has spoken.
David Tam is Not a Falun Gong Practitioner and neither are the words he has spoken representative of the practice.
Good Day
This article is plagerized from a New York times article which I found absolutely discriminatory and reeking of Communist Propaganda attack techniques. Many shows are produced by christian groups or Jewish groups who's mention is not ever put on advertising. How many movies or plays have you gone to that there is really no mention of what it is about or what religious affiliation the producer has - hundreds. I found the show to be the most beautiful and mesmerising show I have ever seen. The communist government has been persecuting this group purely because they believe in a higher power than communism. They also persecute christians and buddhists. The communist government is killing people!!! ntdtv is the only media that will tell people the truth about what is going on in china today. the communist party will try anything in order to defame anyone who speaks the truth. just like using someone like david tam to say outrageous nutty things about falun gong. seriously who is the evil cult here? who kills and tortures kind people who believe in truthfulness compassion tolerance? the communist government!! check out your history folks! no matter what country the communists have a record of killing that is unmatched.
This article is plagerized from a New York times article which I found absolutely discriminatory and reeking of Communist Propaganda attack techniques. Many shows are produced by christian groups or Jewish groups who's mention is not ever put on advertising. How many movies or plays have you gone to that there is really no mention of what it is about or what religious affiliation the producer has - hundreds. I found the show to be the most beautiful and mesmerising show I have ever seen. The communist government has been persecuting this group purely because they believe in a higher power than communism. They also persecute christians and buddhists. The communist government is killing people!!! ntdtv is the only media that will tell people the truth about what is going on in china today. the communist party will try anything in order to defame anyone who speaks the truth. just like using someone like david tam to say outrageous nutty things about falun gong. seriously who is the evil cult here? who kills and tortures kind people who believe in truthfulness compassion tolerance? the communist government!! check out your history folks! no matter what country the communists have a record of killing that is unmatched.
I read David Tam's comment. He seems to highlight the "controversial" aspects of Falun Gong without hesitation. I would say that he does not represent Falun Gong at all.
Thanks
He is entertaining though, you got to give him two thumps up.
Hello-
I am a Falun Gong practitioner. I am not Chinese, but a "Westerner."
I really enjoyed the show. I had heard so much about it, and I thought it was beautiful. Of course I had a connection to it, being a practitioner, and therefore was impacted by its meaning.
I, too, see the words of practitioners on this comments section, as well as those of people who are towing the line for the CCP. I've seen it on other sites before, and it leaves me unsettled, at times.
You know, I've been around many different practitioners over the years, and all are still just people - some express themselves well, some don't; some handle themselves well, others don't. Just like in society, there is this variety.
Many practitioners, especially Chinese, feel wounded and a sense of tremendous injustice when discussing this persecution - this we can sympathize with in the west, right? I mean, in modern China you have this violent history of communism there - just brutal stuff - that even though we acknowledge the history and intellectually seem to grasp the horrors that culture has endured, we don't have a real-life experience to draw from - to "live" it and thus fundamentally understand it. I don't, anyway.
There is a sense of desperation from these folks at times - "How come you don't get it? Why do the U.S. and other nations turn a blind eye to these things? Why don't we do something about it?"
Good questions, whether dealing with the persecution of Falun Gong, the Tibetan issue, house Christians, CCP's funding of the Sudan regime, Zimbabwe, etc., etc., etc.
I don't have to be a Falun Gong practitioner to stand against this regime. It taints everything it touches, and will violently silence anything and anyone that speaks against it. This is not because of what I or anyone else says. It is because of its own actions, in the past and present.
I just read an article this evening that was published online at the U.K.'s Daily Mail website where Britain's athletes are being forced to sign a no criticism clause if they want to go to Beijing, and could be put on the next flight out if violated.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=513362&in_page_id=1770&ct=5
Are you kidding me? What are we doing, going along with such lunacy? And please don't quote me the argument regarding enforcement for violating the Olympic Charter. China's communist leadership - and those of us in the West through our silently allowing its compromise - has already tossed that document out the window. Inside the Charter are stated Principles regarding "Olympism" and its ideal "to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity"
and
"Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement."
We are dealing with a regime that censors the internet, under the guise of filtering out negative influences from the outside world, on a mass scale. That alone makes me distrust them. The truth is that if the Chinese people, who are deeply cynical and suspicious of the CCP already, had access to such information and perspectives, the house of cards would collapse.
With optimism we awarded China the Olympics, expecting a change and respect for human rights.
What happened instead is that we compromised our principles, and have even collaborated in making the China/Human Rights subject taboo when dealing with the Chinese government and the Olympics.
In my experience, a difficult factor is that mainland Chinese associate themselves through a sense of nationalism with their government - criticizing the CCP is criticizing China. This connection has been drummed in since birth, and is a key element of Communism, its dominance of culture and society, and its propaganda.
For you mainland Chinese: the CCP does not represent you or your culture, and what the Falun Gong are doing by speaking out against the CCP is not an attack on the people of China. You are more so a victim of its actions as
anyone. The persecution of Falun Gong was an attack on its own citizens.
In my opinion, the quoting of Master Li, excerpts, "Falun Gong this" and "Falun Gong that" is out of context and a complete misrepresentation of the practice. Christians are not judged by the daily incorporation of the teachings in "Revelations", or the defense of Lazarus rising from the dead.
If you want to understand it, practice for awhile and make your own decisions and judgements - it won't harm you, despite the CCP's propaganda claims. It is part of our life, and has an element of improving our nature and character. If you are not living it, you can read all the books you want, standing on the outside tossing out quotes to further your take on things.
--Boy, I know this is long (I'm sorry, Jen, it's supposed to be about the Spectacular, but as my wife says, "Once you do decide to speak..."), but one last observation:
Falun Gong is always accused of having a "political" agenda, but here is my take:
We have one of the most powerful governments to have ever existed, who one day turns on millions of its own citizens, and declares war on them, to eradicate their personal, human right to believe in something. Since most of us had never even heard of Falun Gong in 1999, the CCP used its financial resources and influence to frame Falun Gong as a political group or irrational cult.
Therefore, having no other information, many of us thought it could be true. If it is against a government, it must be a political action, and therefore justifies the response of the CCP in the eyes of the rest of the world and its own people.
Nevermind the fact that practitioners speak out because they, their families and friends are being tortured and slaughtered, and have exhausted themselves trying to legitimately come out from underneath this mischaracterization.
If they were not being targeted for destruction, they would just be practicing at home and in the park, and if you want to learn, come on down - it's free.
I guess I will wrap things up by saying that the sNew Year Spectacular emphasized traditional Chinese thought and belief in good being rewarded by good, responsibility, virtuous actions, etc.; things not exclusive to Falun Gong, but once highly valued by the dynasties throughout China's history.
Well, if you made it this far, you probably need a bathroom break : ]
I just wanted to add my two-hundred-and-two cents, and share my perspective. Judge for yourselves whether I am rational or spewing propaganda.
-Jim
Jim,
You're trying to be constructive here, but you haven't really addressed the main point about Falun Gong's deceptiveness when dealing with the public. Master Li has frequently said the only way to stop "the persecution" is to eliminate (not reform) the CCP. This may or may not be a reasonable objective, but surely you won't refute your master's words, will you?
If one of the main purposes of the Falun Gong show is to propagandize against the CCP, then shouldn't the theater going public at least be informed of that? The Falun Gong show is a classic bait and switch: people come expecting to see a show about the culture of China and instead are subjected to a revolutionary political message, mixed up with a religious message about Li's special brand of salvation. Neither one of these two major themes falls into the category of "traditional Chinese culture."
Deceptiveness seems to be a main technique used by your group. When talking about the teachings, for example, you avoid giving an honest report about Li's main teachings which are that only his Dafa can save people during this period of Fa rectification and that by practicing Falun Gong you can have your illnesses healed directly by Master Li. It's this second teaching...which Li calls "sickness karma"...that was one of the main reasons for banning Falun Gong in the first place.
Because practitioners believe that illness is not really illness, they avoid seeking medical treatment, even when they are critically ill. Here in the US there are reports of Falun Gong practitioners suffering life threatening illnesses and not seeing a doctor because they believe that this is an opportunity for them to eliminate "bad karma."
Do Falun Gong practitioners who are adults have a right to believe these things? Absolutely. But do they also have a right to conceal these core teachings from Americans in order to present a benign image group? I think not.
So when you say the practice of Falun Gong "won't harm you, despite the CCP's propaganda claims" I have to respectfully disagree with you. Falun Gong teachings can rightfully be considered harmful to the public and I do not base that observation on anything the CCP has said, but instead on my personal experiences with Falun Gong practitioners here in the US.
It seems to me you can't have it both ways, Jim. If you want to elicit my support in your campaign to eliminate the CCP, you have to gain my trust first. And as long as your group misrepresents the truth to the general public, I will be suspicious of what you say.
Hey, FLG friends
Why waste your time here, talking with these non-blievers?
There are 2 options for you guys:
1, Do your stuff, like you did in China. Didn't you besiege the press? Didn't you besiege the TV Co.? Didn't you crack down the press by out numbered followers? That's why you are banned in China...... Come on... do it again.
2, Oh, SxxT, it's in US, cops are euipted with real iron. So we do not do it again. BUT, why you dare to do it in China? Chinese cops do not have fire arms? or they did not use them to you? How can we believe the torturing stories?