The City of Melbourne prides itself in cultural diversity and gradually people of many faiths have found a home here.
Many among Melbourne's Chinese population are second generation, some going back to even fifth generation. The Chinese were among the earliest settlers and arrived at the time of the Gold Rush over 150 years hundred years ago. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2001, the second largest population of Chinese residents after Sydney is in Melbourne (146,827).
The connection with the Chinese culture is ever present. The New Year Spectacular was a rare chance to experience the legendary stories that Chinese people were familiar with.
Melbourne Property Developer Richard Wong was proud to see the New Year Spectacular on Friday night at the Melbourne Regent Theatre. "I think it has brought a standard of Asian culture to Melbourne that we've not seen for many, many years. We're very, very proud of tonight to see how Chinese are able to produce something of such a high standard in Melbourne," he said.
"It's one of the best cultural shows I have ever seen in my entire life… The colour, the choreography, the details of the dance routines, the musical instruments, the erhu (Chinese violin)...brilliant, brilliant ? just like a human voice," said Mr Wong.
"And I think the measure of the feelings with the performance was also very, very good. It's not just going to be a performance from them, it's really something coming from their hearts."
"My children enjoyed it immensely, and normally it's hard to hold their attention with anything, but tonight they really felt part of the performances," he added.
For others, it was purely a chance to absorb and be immersed in something they'd never seen or heard before. Melbourne dentist Mihai Rosca, who came originally from Romania commented: "I'm fascinated by the erhu." The erhu was played by soloist Qi Xiaochun ? a graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music ? who received the Performer's Award at the 14th "Spring of Shanghai" International Erhu Competition in 1991. More recently, Ms Qi's 2003 performance of music from "The Joy Luck Club" with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra was very enthusiastically received. "Favourite performance to-date, particularly like the Chinse violin," remarked Nathan McLean, a Finance Consultant from Berwick. "It has always fascinated me actually. It's a mystical sound, something very unique about it."
The variation in dance, solo performances and the exquisite costumes appealed respectively to those with special interests and younger audience members found themselves engaged in the narratives of the Spectacular.
A Year 8 student from Glen Waverley, Sandra said "I think the myths and legends are really good. I think it's really nice that the Chinese people have those beliefs.
"I don't know my culture that well and I think it's a shame," she said, "but I just love that these Chinese people have all these legends, it's really beautiful. And it really makes a difference to their lives, because if they didn't have them they would be really different people."
"I think we can take lessons from that, just to see that the Chinese are so faithful and they can believe to that depth of 5000 years. It's just amazing."
The Divine Performing Arts are the artistic force behind New Tang Dynasty Television's Holiday Wonders and Chinese New Year Spectacular shows each year. Its mission is to rediscover the essence of true, traditional culture and to bring arts to the world that celebrates human dignity and positive values. It thus produces and performs works that centre on classical themes and divinely-inspired cultural traditions. The group's performances aim to provide an experience of consummate beauty and goodness.
It is evident that China's cultural legacy is relevant to all people, regardless of race or age or gender.
"I'm going to tell my school friends that it's a once in a life time experience and they should fly overseas to see it. It's amazing, it's really worth it. I think the dancers were trying to show that if you can really believe in something it will come out in the type of person you are," Sandra concluded.
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