TOKYO—Divine Performing Arts débuted it's Chinese Spectacular before an enthusiastic audience in Tokyo, Japan Tuesday evening.
Among the audience was Yu Yue, who is originally from Mainland China and attends university in Japan. Yu is of the opinion that the show truly represents China's traditions.
"We are seeing fewer and fewer authentic Chinese traditions," said Yu. "Especially today, the kind of half-modern half-traditional stuff is totally rampant."
Currently living with his family in Saitama Prefecture, Yu has classical training in Peking Opera and martial arts. He believes the Chinese Spectacular to be of superb technical quality.
"After watching the performance, my first impression was that the entire production, all the way from playwrighting to choreography to detail planning is very pure and presents our original culture according to our ancient traditions," he said.
"From a professional standpoint, there is no use of hype to achieve the so-called goal of 'attracting audience.' The performance is natural, and being natural it actually attracts more attention from the audience. It is also a form of art with purity and simplicity. I feel it is a rare performance in today's society."
Yu also appreciated the performances in the show which depict the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese regime.
"To me, the most touching are the three performances about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners."
"The most exciting programs are 'Tang Court Drummers' and 'Loyalty of Yue Fei'. They are touching and thought-provoking to anyone who knows Chinese culture."
Yu thinks that whether or not the younger generation is interested in Chinese traditions depends entirely on how governments educate people.
For instance, he said that if the memorial built in front of Tianenmen Square of Mao was instead a memorial to a legendary Chinese hero such as Yue Fei, and if tradition were taught to school children from an early age, everyone would have an interest in traditional art and culture.
"I think now is the time for us to look back and reflect on what has transpired during the five thousand years of Chinese history, rather than blindly following what is a trend today or a fad tomorrow," said Yu.
"Today, the Chinese government has torn down many ancient buildings to host the Olympics. I know that in France and Italy, if someone wants to tear down a wall, he has to get permission from the government. They regard it as a type of culture, a historical relic."
"I think China needs to retain its original features no matter how progressed society becomes. Otherwise there will be nothing left for us to be proud of. Our own Chinese culture should be well preserved and promoted."
"In addition, we should neither alter it nor mix it with something else under any circumstances."
"[The Chinese Spectacular ] helps people all over the world learn about traditional Chinese culture. It is not a half-Chinese half-foreign mishmash. The show is pure and upright."
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