Why can’t Shen Yun perform in China?

Ironically, while Shen Yun celebrates traditional Chinese culture around the world, it cannot perform in China. Not only that, but you cannot see another performance like this in China today. Shen Yun would be happy to perform there, but the Chinese Communist Party won’t allow it.

Sure, there are countless performances in China that appear to be traditional, but after decades of political campaigns to eradicate this cultural heritage, these have been stripped of their inner essence. One of the things that makes Shen Yun unique is that, in addition to the surface artistry and beauty, it honors the spiritual essence of Chinese civilization—ideas like harmony among Heaven, Earth, and humankind.

But this is exactly the aspect of Chinese traditions that the communist regime has been trying to destroy. It sees the revival of this culture, and Shen Yun, as a threat, and so does not allow Shen Yun to perform there.

What’s more, Shen Yun’s artistic team feels that art should not only be a medium for spreading beauty and culture, but should have a humanitarian side. Every year Shen Yun has at least one dance piece depicting a highly sensitive topic in China, one that no artist there has dared to touch so far—the story of Falun Gong (see below). We feel this is an important story worth telling, yet that is another reason why we cannot perform in China.

Meanwhile, Chinese people who can afford to are constantly flying to Taipei, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and other cities specifically to see Shen Yun. Countless others write in to our website expressing their hope that we will come perform in China soon.