Shen Yun is NOT What You Think It Is

[@kphaxx]

Those unnamed symbols were borrowed from Buddhism, though the particular symbol is used throughout various eastern religions. I know what I've said is often repeated, but isn't it kind of a cheap shot to point it out without explaining it? There's plenty else wrong with the cult without having to resort to that

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Fair point. I still don't understand Why Falun Gong didn't pick one of the many other Buddhist symbols. When they formed in the 90s it was much more well know for it's use in Germany. Also I'm still not sure If I think it's a cult.

[@kphaxx]

Not a big deal. The symbol in its original form is still pretty common in the East, as it was in the 90s. I was just expecting a twist or something, since the symbols were highlighted in the video. As far as I can tell, it wasn't a wink to western far right, but who knows? If it wasn't, might as well be now, with what I can grok from Epoch Times. 🤷‍♂️

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Yeah I agree, I don't think it's a nod to the far right. I didn't include that to suggest Falun Gong is a Fascist. It's in there more to point that there's more than meets the eye.

[@NejcEber]

​@@AdamDoesNotExistThey believe that race mixing in humans is part of an alien plot to drive humanity further from the gods and that when a child is born from an interracial marriage, that child does not have a heavenly kingdom to go to. They use their media (such as Epoch Times) to promote Trump, the great replacement and QAnon conspiracy theories. They promote these views in many places, from the US and Germany to Australia.

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

​@@kphaxx There all one of the same entity > Epoch Times-NTD-Shen Yun-Falungong < U$ Gov't-backed

[@guuradubs]

Not gonna lie, I just got an ad from them and liked the music so I was curious and looked them up. I was not expecting this video to be the first thing that popped up 😂

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

You might still like the show! Just because I didn’t go doesn’t mean you shouldn’t :)

[@strongbrain3128]

Watching Shen Yun is like watching a death show with fake claims, created by a mad man, like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charles Manson, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Shoko Asahara. Because Falon Gong's founder Hong Zhi Li is anti-China, he is very welcomed by the US politicians who are so against China.

[@dayegilharno4988]

:) As someone being sceptical of both adverstisement and authoritarian governments on principle: I feel you.

[@111marcie]

I love the show, it speaks of how communism breeds hate and destroy lives. Very touching performance and I will go again.

[@111marcie]

They didn't push thier religion on anyone, it's just a great dance show and because it's against communism I think that's why their attacking with all this false info. I actually saw the show and they never gave any info on their religion.

[@lesleyedgley8371]

One minute 29 seconds into this video and guess what? Yup. An ad for Shen Yun. Coming to a venue near me (Wales) in February!

[@shyviking]

One does not simply escape the Shen Yun ads.... 😂

[@strongbrain3128]

Watching Shen Yun is like watching a death show with fake claims, created by a mad man, like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charles Manson, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Shoko Asahara. Because Falon Gong's founder Hong Zhi Li is anti-China, he is very welcomed by the US politicians who are so against China.

[@TrilobitesRTasty]

7:14 I think the video creator is not a fan. So that was a surprise for me after watching the whole video.

[@Ocho-y6j]

and guess how they pay for those thousand dollar ads? by preying on weak people and "promise" them a better life if they pay $$$

[@laurencewinch-furness9450]

Someone I work with went to that performance!

[@Andre_Blais]

You failed to point out the widespread use of the Buddhist swastika. You’ve responded to commenters elsewhere pointing out that the more recent use of the symbol is more “well-known” - again, you totally fail to recognize that may well be the case from a westerner’s perspective. New temples built across countries like Vietnam well after the holocaust feature the symbol proudly - and so they should! I really enjoyed the rest of the video but this part rubbed me the wrong way is all. Very well-produced and I have always been curious about their performances so good video otherwise. Cheers and much love from Canada!

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Cheers, glad you enjoyed some of it. I definitely don't think their choice was a nod to Fascism. I included that in the video to point out there's a lot more to Shen Yun and Falun Gong than there may appear on the surface. I still just really wish they made some different decisions. I understand the Western vs. Eastern argument, but I don't completely agree with the conclusion. Falun Gong is based in NY and Shen Yun does a lot more shows in the US than in Vietnam.

[@Andre_Blais]

@@AdamDoesNotExist Hey Adam! I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to respond! The very orientation of the symbol I think is a clear nod to the group's obvious Buddhist cultural roots/inspirations. That was really the crux of my point and why I failed to see any value in its inclusion but again, I did enjoy the video nonetheless! First-time watcher and I'm now subscribed!

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

All good points and fair analysis!

[@jzero53]

Went once and the proselytizing during the show was revolting and the overall show BORING! Same dance over and over. Don't recommend attending.

[@shyviking]

There is no general difference in orientation of the swastika. It is a (widespread, but incorrect) myth. Others have used it the same way around as in NS-Germany. That being said, it is a symbol, that has been used forever. It is still the symbol generally used for Buddhist temples on maps in Japan, and a variation of it is used in Denmark and other nordic countries to mark tourist attractions. da.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johanneskors

[@markmh835]

How weird is this? I got a youtube commercial for Shen Yun in the middle of watching this scathing review of Shen Yun. Anyone else?

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Someone else said the same thing!

[@ManiacMeats]

I got one before the video. Algorithms be crazy.

[@VeryMerryLou]

that's how Ai works.

[@michaelfoxbrass]

True that AI leverages some of the same data mining material, but the ad popping up is much more likely to have been driven by the KZbin click driving the ad placement - which is basic internet/social media ad placement triggers.

[@champigranja1179]

Nope. I got their commercials randomly (or not... I watch a lot of ballet videos) and looked it up. This vid popped up.

[@JJ-uo9tj]

One should pay attention to how those dancers were physically and psychologically abused and lowly paid, according to a few former runaway leaders in the organization.

[@strongbrain3128]

Watching Shen Yun is like watching a death show with fake claims, created by a mad man, like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charles Manson, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Shoko Asahara. Because Falon Gong's founder Hong Zhi Li is anti-China, he is very welcomed by the US politicians who are so against China.

[@condorX2]

Nice perspective. They remind me Foxconn employees.

[@alicedai98]

What do you mean runaway, are you imply they are not free to leave? Show me an example or news. This is USA, not China.

[@phiksit]

Or Scientology... or any other religion, cult, government or enterprise that exploits people.

[@gandalfgreyhame3425]

@@condorX2 Foxconn=maker of Apple iphones. Apple is Pure Evil.

[@thhseeking]

I was confused at first when you mentioned the "Epic Times". I've always heard "epoch" pronounced as "ee-pok".

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

That's what I though too, but then I watched some of their youtube videos. The reporters pronounce it epic. Their most popular video "Hong Kong Printing Press - Our Press Was Just Torched" says it epic, though I could be wrong.

[@UkeCan1]

@@AdamDoesNotExistI've always pronounced epic and epoch the same.

[@Hemlocksipper]

E-Pac....... Shakur?

[@riceballlegend7757]

@@AdamDoesNotExist Epoch Times is their propaganda media. They push extremist right wing ideologies and anti-China content. They were banned from China, for good reason, as their are anti-gay, anti-medicine, and anti-mix-race relationship ideals are harmful for the society. They are racists. China is an open socialist society which fights for equal rights for the working people, or the common man (Communism). The ideals of the CPC party is to ensure no one obtains an unfair privilege. That is how they've lifted over 800million (i mean just wow) Chinese out of poverty in just 30 years. No country, no party have ever achieved such progress. Only a socialist party focused on doing the right things for the poor and working class could pull this off.

[@Blurb777]

Epoch is epic.

[@menumlor9432]

I just got done watching shen yun in Milwaukee literally 2 hours ago. I really enjoyed their performances.

[@menumlor9432]

@takeadeepbreathe , it's mainly cultural differences. Most people see fancy tricks, stunts, and surface level storytelling. But if you set that aside and actually dive deep into each performance. Each character represents something of that time period, and they do their best to manifest it into physical performances. A more modern example would be in the movie crouching tiger hidden dragon. To a non Chinese person, surface level, it looks like a bunch of sword fighting and unrealistic stunts. Deep down, the main protagonist represents masculinity and tradition, and the antagonist is feminity and changing social norms. Both are fighting and struggling to gain dominance over each other. But at the end of the movie, they come to an understanding that it's about taking accountability for your actions because if you don't, you can cause chaos, destruction, and ruin people's lives.

[@s.t.jensen198]

Me too; I really enjoyed the performance.

[@michaelfoxbrass]

@@menumlor9432 You’ve made an excellent analogy/reference to how western and eastern art/literature/music/dance - all types of storytelling (and the underlying cultural traditions on which those traditions are formed), may either please or disappoint an audience. If an audience member primarily focuses on the literal representation - the how of - a story told on screen/stage, rather than the figurative/symbolic representation of the actions and events depicted, then the story they experience may be less (or more!) meaningful to them - but also perhaps not what the artist intended to convey as its meaning. Just take any classical western plot/storytelling tradition based on “agreed mythologies” or “extra-scientific” (meaning without scientific data), explanations of how physical and ethereal realities appear to co-exist (various religious origin stories, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Alice in Wonderland, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, etc), an eastern traditionalist may not find the story being told or the style in which it’s told to be enjoyable or believable.

[@adamrad2220]

​@@alex_jermaineNo idea. My wife and I saw this a couple years ago and I thought it was pretty darn cool. I don't usually go for stuff like this. But, it was colorful, artistic, entertaining and kind of relaxing at the same time. My wife loved it.

[@Dog-999i]

@@alex_jermaineBecause those people don’t want to support content made by creepy cults. That’s why Scientology projects always get terrible reviews. The church of Scientology near my house has 1 star.

[@jjyin]

Sounds like the chinese version of scientology, except bigger and better funded.

[@madmaxmedia]

You forgot the most important part- with dancing!!

[@drewmalesky9869]

I'm ok with cults, if their whole mantra is peace and dancing.

[@solomonrivers5639]

I doubt they’re better funded, I think Scientology just has better -accountants- auditors

[@ajordan1976]

​@@drewmalesky9869it's a way to finance the cult. There's nothing good about a cult.

[@drewmalesky9869]

@@ajordan1976 yes I know

[@robertneilson2780]

I really appreciate you making this video, but the Buddhist symbol that looks like a swastika is just not correlated to nazism at all. If you go to Eastern Asia, it’s everywhere, it’s a universal symbol for Buddhism. It’s on maps, signs, temples. I absolutely agree that these guys are weird, but making a jab at the supposed swastika is really Eurocentric and making an invalid critique like that just weakens your overall argument, even if all of the other points are solid.

[@kevintaylor9912]

You're assuming that they're using it in the Buddhist way ,just as he using it in an Eurocentric way but with the additional background of the beliefs of the cult! They sure seem mighty Reich wing to myself and plenty of others! T by eye also give a Moonie vibe!

[@aravindshetty9266]

Its not buddhist but Hindu

[@seanangowski7202]

@@kevintaylor9912 that is a very old symbol that the Nazis took, and it has much more meaning and other cultures even used it. It only has a one bad connotation, and that’s connected to the Nazis, other than that in history’s path and never had a bad name it was even connected to the sun.

[@seanangowski7202]

It’s also supposedly connected to the circle of life, so take what you want from it

[@donaldgrove1972]

It was during the lockdown that I got hammered with ads for The Epoch Times on youtube. I can see how these ads would be very appealing to people who prefer right wing conspiracy theories. As for people who say that Shen Yun/Falun Dafa/Epoch Times have a right to their opinion, well, I can't stop them. But as the saying goes, you are entitled to you own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.

[@pinkkitten_nails]

I get it most people like their news with propaganda and hate truth like epoch times but to call truth tellers right wing while we are living through the literal worse time in America is chicken coupon coocoo

[@newyorkranger169]

What news media do you trust? CNN, MSNBC, FOX, NPR, etc are all full of propaganda and misinformation. I certainly disagree with some tbings, but I've found the reporting on Epoch Times to be very fair and to stick only to the facts, regardless of who it makes look bad. Unfortunately, we live in a world where some conspiracy theories are actually real. We get lied to by our own government/media and other countries are constantly throwing misinformation at us. If you believe that covid 19 didn't start in a Chinese lab or that the vaccines are 100 percent safe and effective, or that Epstein killed himself, then you really need to wake up. Also, if the intention of protesters on Jan 6th was to actually commit insurrection, why did everyone leave their guns and armor at home? Just food for thought

[@kurt1391]

Like the conspiracy theory that Big Pharma pushed a dangerous "vaccine" that hurt millions of people just for $$$? Maybe we need to ditch "conspiracy theory" as an epithet. Too many are coming true.

[@chelsea65030]

I went to one of the shows, around 2017, totally deceived by the false advertising. I realized less than halfway through that instead of traditional Chinese culture, I was watching a play, disguised as dancing, about a persecuted religious cult. There were kids in the audience, so I found the part where some actors/dancers were tortured by electric shock to be inappropriate. It's fine to make a play and dance show about their religion and hardships, but PLEASE BE HONEST in the advertising!!! I was so upset that I walked out early. Oh, and about the traditional Chinese dancing and music for the actual dance numbers... totally false. It's mostly modern dance/ballet and western music, with a Chinese influence. Thank you for making this video, btw!

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Thanks for watching!

[@Axtr_07]

Same here, I remember going to one of the show around late 2017 or early 2018. I thought it was cool and beautiful until the last part of the show and was completely weirded out, show stuff like crystal healing and protesting

[@chelsea65030]

@@Axtr_07 Nice to hear from someone with a similar experience! I heard and still hear so many positive reviews so it definitely feels confusing at times, like have I lost my mind, lol.

[@monkemaster4756]

Bruh, it’s not western music!!!!!!! THEY MADE THEIR OWN MUSIC

[@eileenmcchrystal8471]

Same experience here. This is terrible but my husband and I were in hysterics at the duplicity and the film projection of the massive tsunami wave accompanied by a tenor singing and a section that was a ‘dance’ which was women walking and holding a clay pot on their head. Most of the just looked confused and bemused. We had to leave 🙈

[@JackyW-j4g]

You are unaware that those dancers are manipulated and abused. More of these dancers have spoken up about their stories, which make Shen Yun really sound like a cult. They only train dancers from a very young age (around 13 years old). The kids' parents are normally the Falun Gong followers and sent those kids to be trained for this dance. The kids are isolated at Dragon Springs Tempel in the US. This tempel is where they practice the dance and Falun Gong The dancers almost have no pay, no vacation, are not allowed to connect with people outside the group, not allowed to use medicine when sick ( becuas they are told if you are ill you need to practice more Falun Gong), and will be punished if they have their own opinion about anything.

[@hyc1266]

Falun Gong is a cult which uses religions as an excuse to do modern slavery. All its workers have almost no salary but all the profits from its media and performance business are kept and spent by the cult leaders.

[@tranquantd2k4]

I feel the information you give is not true.

[@davidm1926]

@@tranquantd2k4 It seems pretty consistent with the NYT article from a few months ago - "Behind the Pageantry of Shen Yun, Untreated Injuries and Emotional Abuse"

[@tranquantd2k4]

@@davidm1926 I have been to see Shen Yun, I don't feel any signs that they are like that, If they were treated like that, I would definitely realize it. with some kind of wound, what is that? all I know is that they are being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party, The Chinese Communist Party has always tried to suppress them, and I suspect that the information slandering Shen Yun was all fabricated by the Chinese Communist Party, You and I cannot be easily fooled by the Chinese Communist Party,

[@mandeelyn6895]

​@davidm1926 really? times was your basis of honesty lol

[@TheCreditShifu]

You should have seen the show first man, I’ve seen it and thought its great. Also the way you presented the logo, that symbol is an ancient buddhist symbol, go to buddhist temples in Asia and you will see it all over the place. Hitler stole it. The beliefs of FLG are not much different to any other orthodox religion, like.. Christianity for example.😊 people alway make these videos like “omg they have traditional beliefs!” But so do billions of other people. The interracial thing is a lie, you probably heard it from other youtubers its not true. Look up some documentaries about FLG and you will often see couples that are interracial who practice it. Anyway, good to see someone making videos about Chinese culture, I just think you should go see it first.

[@GillyTech]

THANK YOU for your reasonable comment. I feel the same.

[@dustinbeach9910]

Sounds like you're apart of the FLG propaganda machine ;)

[@WhosTheRealDookie]

@@dustinbeach9910sounds like you’re a seasoned professional in the art of clown grievance. Such a power in your subtle bitterness lol! ;)

[@shakeorefined2514]

Rumor: they have a history of hiring local musicians in towns where they go on tour. They'll ask musicians to sign something saying implying that they've joined the religion, and then back out on actually paying the musicians because they're now part of the cult and their time was a "donation". Heard this from multiple sources.

[@ladavis1959]

Wow I wouldn’t doubt it.

[@CarlGerhardt1]

"The Chinese Communist Party says they're a cult"...and of course, the CCP ALWAYS speaks the truth, right?

[@emmanuelgoldstein1918]

Rumor? Then why do you mention it? I do doubt it.

[@shakeorefined2514]

@@emmanuelgoldstein1918 I mentioned it because I heard it from multiple sources. It's never happened to me personally, but my wife says she knows two musicians this happened to in separate cities.

[@chrisschneiders6734]

​@shakeorefined2 514 having seen the show the orchestra was truly brillant so it wouldn't hurt local talent, better sounding than an offical Australian orchestra lve seen.. And there no mugs.

[@michaelrusso8466]

Algorithm was spot-on recommending this one to me, lol. I thought I was the only person who spent this much time bewildered by Shen Yun.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Glad to hear it! They’re certainly an interesting group.

[@Blacklocklegal]

I had no idea they ran the Epoch Times.

[@hyc1266]

FaLun Gong is a cult and criminal organization about modern slavery. The dancers and news media workers receive no salaries and profits all go to the cult leaders only. The CFO of the cult was just arrested by US FBI a few weeks ago.

[@lindabudarf5571]

I subscribe to Epoch Times and read it every morning. Actually, this is a link from today’s post.

[@Joedaniels007]

Such a wild surprise

[@JohnnyAngel8]

Some of the comments are disappointing, especially those by people who encourage you to see the show. I would encourage you NOT to see it, save your money, and feel good about not supporting such ignorance and hatred. Dressing a monster in silk doesn't make it less of a monster.

[@Dog-999i]

I agree. Nobody should ever send money to a cult. Don’t send money to the Moonies, don’t send money to Scientology, don’t send money to Falun Gong.

[@temiomogunloye5819]

How is blind ignorance better? Have you seen the show? If not, you're ignorant and have formed an opinion based on 3rd person information which tells a lot about you. If you have seen the show, then you're a hypocrite to tell others not to see it just because you didn't like it. Either way, your perspective is screwed.

[@eduardoaguila9702]

I did the same mistake than you... Shen Yun is a Must NO

[@bettyyu-h5q]

Bought 2 tix for my mom (80) and aunt last year. I lied and told them i got it for free otherwise they would insist i take the grandkids. They never go anywhere, never spend any money on themselves and are your typical cheapskate immigrant parents from China. They had a great time and really enjoyed the colorful dancing and music. Whatever political or cult messages there were went over their heads. Just happy that they had a good time and can undertand the language....lol. i also had to remind them not to spit when we are at the theater....lol

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Hahaha. This is great. Such a nice thing to do. Glad to hear you all had a good time!

[@Cu.is.copper]

Haha i came across this when i was checking out this group as an ad landed in my in box and i actually dance with a local chinese performance group. I wonder if we get co opted to dance 😳.

[@kaneidareyue7715]

Just so you know, my grandparents and parents never spit indoors or in carpeted area, maybe on roads, and usually its the males but females generally use tissue. Most Chinese people know what Shen Yun actually is, so am surprised they had no idea. Seriously are you really Chinese at all? Spitting indoors on the floor is very disrespectful in Chinese culture, unless they are from the rural China. I don't know any Chinese that spits indoors on floors or inside a buildings. Please don't go around saying they spit on floors like its a normal Chinese thing. There is nothing Chinese about that, its a family tradition within your own family.

[@mikesgirl8304]

I got tickets for my birthday, I loved the show, the dancing and music was amazing. As a Christian I found nothing in the show offensive but was shocked by some of the song lyrics and wondered how other people who don't share my beliefs in the audience would feel hearing that. Overall glad I went but knowing some of this not sure I'd purchase tickets for myself in the future

[@baronperez8200]

What was the shocking part?

[@kathleendavis5727]

I saw this very expensive show and felt very mislead. All the adverts showed it as a dance spectacle, but to me it seemed to be just a vehicle for some political and religious agenda and fundraising. I did not care for it.

[@DeboraMonsores]

Yes it is a political movement too. Against the Chinese Communist Party.

[@Mark-rt3yd]

How can you determine if a religion is a cult? Simply assess whether the founder of the religion is still alive or not.

[@hazelcornell4311]

Doesn't work. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard is dead, but nonetheless, Scientology is widely considered a cult.

[@urbaneblobfish]

Not sure if I totally agree with that since many of us would agree that Scientology meets the criteria for being considered a cult despite the founder being very dead.

[@lionelpolanski1556]

The key is to assess if their doctrine, their proposition go against the most fundamental common sense of modern life

[@413smr]

I'm so tired of the bombardment. It has a reverse effect on me. The "dances" all look like the same athletic/gymnastic stunts in somewhat different costumes. Not impressed.

[@machettefreddy4170]

Does the government seize their bank accounts without any due prosses for peacefully protesting?

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Maybe in Canada...

[@wastedproductions45]

"Peacfully Protesting" that's an interesting way to put it

[@Chann223]

It's no suprise to me that a religious group like this, once it found it's way to the West ( America in particular), that it suddenly rose quickly in popularity, and in profits. And also was able to develop a strong presence in political media. No coincidence to me.

[@Ilus01]

It’s a business masqueraded as a religion, and yes a cult religion.

[@kcatarino]

Now that I know they are connected to Fallon gong it reminded me they used to have these big protests in New York City around the year 2000

[@InspireMe-zu6yv]

American style... Ohhhhhh sexy fat man... O o Oppa American style

[@dangonzales4278]

The Shen Yun commercial came up twice during this video. 🙄

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Someone else said the same thing!

[@GOTHICMAMBA35]

Happened for me too

[@nathanjamesbaker]

I am here after seeing one of their ads on KZbin.

[@JR-gh8lp]

An ad for Shen Yun literally came up before you were at balcony part. I was confused if it was part of your video or actual advertisement

[@alejmora]

I went to a Shen Yu event in Germany back in 2010. I was not aware what I was going to, a chinese colleague sold me the ticket. The artistic part of the show is good but the amount of blatant propaganda against the CCP is unbearable, I had to leave in the first pause (and I am against the politics and crimes of the CCP). The fake and exagerate praise that they give themselves is also unbearable.

[@Great_Sandwich]

0:23 - For God's sake... I'm no scholar, but _anyone_ familiar with eastern cultures understands what the Swastika means. You see it everywhere in China and Japan. What are you trying to do, here..?

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Yea I know this is a mistake

[@the_swest]

ngl their LED screen backdrop looks like it was made in imovie too.

[@SzTz100]

Their posters are all over the London underground, every single year. And they don't seem to mind using broken English on their posters, you would think they would hire someone to check it.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

They're everywhere here in the Bay Area. I really do consider going every year.

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

​@@AdamDoesNotExist Please don't feed the cult and it's handler the U$ Gov .

[@strongbrain3128]

Watching Shen Yun is like watching a death show with fake claims, created by a mad man, like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charles Manson, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Shoko Asahara. Because Falon Gong's founder Hong Zhi Li is anti-China, he is very welcomed by the US politicians who are so against China.

[@nathanjamesbaker]

@@AdamDoesNotExist Since they are anti-LGBTQ, I am surprised they do shows in the Bay Area.

[@monkemaster4756]

@@AdamDoesNotExistYou should go, it is absolutely more than beautiful, but there is usually one dance where they show the abuse of people who practice Falun Dafa, and sometimes it might be a little bit vulgar but that’s the truth.

[@dasandbox2555]

I have gone twice. I wanted to experience other countries cultural dance. I enjoyed it, but felt twice was enough. No political intentions involved in my decisions at that time.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

I'm sincerely glad to hear you enjoyed it

[@nhiluong9789]

It's good that someone is finally doing some research about Shen Yun. Basically, it's a cult. The founder is an opportunist. He first started his organization by preaching truthfulness and kindness. He encouraged people to exercise and practice shun yun to be healthy and happy. Then, he used his followers to go against the Chinese government. He even proclaimed himself as God. CCP did not tolerate any big organization, especially when they were challeging the Chinese government. When CCP started cracking down, the founder fled to the US. His followers were harassed, attacked, and lost their jobs. Many went to prison and got killed. The founder is backed by the US government. He expanded his organization globally by selling performances to spread his properganda. He became rich, but his naive followers back home suffered. My coworker recommended that I go see Shen Yun and support them back in 2007. I declined because I knew it's a cult. Back then, the tickets were $150 each. The shows are heavily advertised, and they are still running after 15 years. Americans and Europeans are too generous to pay for this kind of properganda.

[@GL-iv4rw]

Did they show how they were organ harvested? Which sounds pretty disturbing for something like a (cultural) dance show.

[@dasandbox2555]

@@GL-iv4rw By “they” are you talking about the CCP (Chinese Communist Party)? Then yes the CCP does not discriminate between ethic groups. What does this have to do with attending Shen Yun cultural event. Explain yourself with facts, when making these kinds of statements.

[@GL-iv4rw]

@@dasandbox2555 Because the video said Shen Yun has been victims of organ harveststion by the Chinese govt, and their shows are partly about how bad they are

[@GreenWolf2k]

I just saw the show tonight for the 1st time. There was some propganda in 4 parts of the play, which was only like 1/4 of the whole play. They never mentioned or resembled anything about feminism, seprating the races, homophobia, or that medicine is bad. They did show and/or mention how terrible the CCP is; how faith can heal you; how the modern world is going down; how being humble/kind is something to stirve for; how being loyal to your significant other is important; and how following their religion will lead you to heaven. Overall not a bad of a message they were spreading. The performance from the dancing, singing, and music were all 10/10. Surprisingly, they did a good job using the digital background with preformers on stage sometimes "jumping" in and out of the screen. I wanna see it again next year to see what new stories they adapt or if they change some of the messages they spread throught the play.

[@DoMinique-ju2ul]

Agreed!! it was a great experience and i would like to go again.

[@joshuablackmore2370]

It’s an amazing experience! If you are worried about religion being a big issue, there wasn’t much on it when I went. I definitely recommend it to everyone!

[@hyc1266]

Do not recommend the performance to others. You are supporting a cult and slavery. The dancers received no salaries and all the profits of the performance goes to the pockets of the cult leaders. FBI arrested the CFO of Falun Gong a few weeks ago for money laundry.

[@wareflorida]

Adam, this is a controversial topic... I can't imagine a more balanced summary. Thank you very much for putting this together. I think people on both sides of the spectrum should start with this video and then do their own honest research from here.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Thank you! I was striving for balance, despite telling you the decision I made in the end. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@GillyTech]

This was absolutely not balanced. This guy has an obvious left leaning bent.

[@chuckvan1568]

I just bought tickets for my family and am hoping to see an exquisitely beautiful performance full of colorful costumes and wonderful music. I like that they are anti-CCP, whom I consider to be a threat to the USA.

[@dustinbeach9910]

anti-CCP doesn't mean that they're a good organization though. Do you support ISIS because they're anti-Russian?

[@ocsrc]

I REALLY REALLY REALLY WANT TO SEE THIS, but I am physically disabled and in poor health. I tried to get tickets in Philadelphia but I was too sick and couldn't go. I am 90 minutes away and I couldn't find anyone to take me to the theater. I even offered to buy the tickets for someone who would take me but no one wanted to go.

[@aellysso]

Oh Im really sorry for you:(( hope you will feel better soon

[@olganika28]

Hi Adam, how can you comment on a show that you have not seen yourself? ??? I go watch it every year. I find it highly inspirational and spiritual. Everyone will take from it what they are able to see and connect with just like when you go watch a movie or read a book. Again, if you want to comment on something the logical and profesional way is to go and watch it or experience it first, otherwise its all facts you got from the internet

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Research! I was more interested in what’s behind the scenes than the show itself. Because of that and the price, I decided not to go.

[@pamelaroyce5285]

@@AdamDoesNotExistI’m glad you did the research and made this video. I laughed out loud about how you weighed whether to buy a ticket and did what any of us would: spend four days going down the rabbit hole… 🤣 Personally, I don’t find their synchronized acrobatics in large numbers to be engaging enough to think I’d last more than ten minutes, even if I could see a show for free. 😵‍💫

[@axscdvfb]

I have never eaten dog shit yet I can have a very strong opinion about it.

[@CindyRink]

They sound like a complex group with some (not all) disagreeable philosophies. They look beautiful. But man, I've seen so many ads on TV and posters on passing buses that it just puts me right off. Sick of the marketing. Thanks for the inside info. Not buying tickets.

[@martaszyszka7654]

That's good I'm not watching TV....

[@guccipucci3941]

„Qanon levels of conspiracy theories, anti science, race realism and a predatory cult?“ they sound like complex but kinda disagreeable people. „The vibe is off because I saw too many ads?“ Im sick of it, not buying tickets!

[@ddc2343d]

I bought tickets a few years ago for a gift for some friends. We went.... yea not what expected. It was political and religious something i'd ever want to see again or suggest anyone go to.

[@Sukhothai77]

It's a great show, you really missed out. You don't have to buy into the absolute belief, to enjoy a dance and cultural show do you? You can enjoy Christmas shows without being Christian, ditto for dances or shows from India or the Middle East, no need to be Hindu or Muslim. Enjoying music, dance, cultural shows or food doesn't NEED one to subscribe to their faiths, obviously.

[@CoveredNJN]

Thanks for your outlook, this is what I was thinking also. I bought a ticket before I heard the word "Cult" and started having second thoughts.

[@anvoeske]

The amount of KZbin ads it has with all these paid recognised figures in the entertainment industry complimenting it tells me I should not watch it whatsoever.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

There are so many adds that say so little!

[@kgbgb3663]

The ads come on practically every video that I watch. The really bad part is that they have the woman with the excruciating accent on first, and she says her piece in the five seconds that you can't skip. I have taken to setting my VPN portal to whatever country they are not touring at the moment. I didn't realise that I was supposed to be recognising the people giving the recommendations in the ads. I thought they were just random members of the audience.

[@chaotickreg7024]

I worked the show backstage and thought "this is really cool propoganda"

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

I bet that was a really interesting experience

[@chaotickreg7024]

@@AdamDoesNotExist You asked, now I have to tell story. I did gig work for a staging company. My specialty was curtain stuff because I did it in high school. They did two nights. First night we realized they needed the main curtain to go up and down, not side to side, which is HEAVY like literal tons of momentum on a counterweight, like we're moving an elevator by hand just two guys. We do our best. The show was super organized (thank goodness). The scenes were all super colorful and the dancers were very impressive. It felt like if Epcot had the vibe of LegoLand but as if every employee was a dancer like DisneyLand. But I escaped a cult so I saw right through it, it felt very corporate somehow like I was in a cubicle watching a religious training video about downtown in a major city. Anyways day two I was told to go home, the show guy wanted to do it. He was a foot shorter and 50 pounds lighter than me. Maybe I smelled like weed haha. But I was home before the show started and got paid for the day. I try to withhold opinions on places before I know their history but it was clear to me it was a facade, it was a fun look into a niche part of another part of the world.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Wow. It was interesting! You can just kind of tell from the crazy amounts of advertisements that there's more than meets the eye. It's just so many billboards and mailers that say so little about what the show actually is. It's so different than the way any other show is handled.

[@chaotickreg7024]

@@AdamDoesNotExist Well i always assumed it was just some region of/around China showing a lot of pride for China reasons. I didn't think it was a huge deal other than that until the show and then I was like "Oh there's way more money being put into this than just ticket sales, they want me to believe that they're virtuous for a reason that could only be suspicious." Plus the corporatism vibe, it reminded me a lot of hyperreality anti-capitalist American music I've been listening to but everything is presented without criticism or irony. Scary. Shoutout to James Ferraro for the music I'm referring to, Farside Virtual is an enlightening experience whether capitalism inspires you or freaks you out.

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

🎯💯

[@walhdamaskus2408]

Falong kong to Beijing is like Q-anon to white house.

[@hairbeauty8083]

Where did you get enough non biased information to make this decision? I'm asking because I seriously don't know where to get decent information everything is extremely at one side saying it's amazing or the other saying the are cannibal baby eaters

[@liuhc]

@@hairbeauty8083 ABC (the Australian one) actually has a pretty good article about this. They interviewed many ex-Falongong members (current ones won't be happy to talk to press apprently) and mostly was speaking from an unbiased position.

[@nnoir]

This is similar to what I thought as the video progressed.

[@walhdamaskus2408]

@@hairbeauty8083, joy them for a while, then u will see the true.

[@reggaespiritdance]

I went a couple years back, the dancing was beautiful but the video screen was so outdated it was distracting. Definitely lots of senior groups were at the performance we went to.

[@rcjdeanna5282]

Just because the CCP is imperfect it doesn't mean China before communism was great....or honest....or drug free.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Well said

[@jaylinn416]

The CCP took a bad situation and made it into a hell. Only Deng Xia Peng's common sense saved China from utter poverty and starvation.

[@jonaspete]

Taiping rebellion cult is what Falun Gong is becoming

[@PunkDogCreations]

Pre CCP was still better by far. Before they great leap backward by the dictator mao.

[@Lyenati]

@@PunkDogCreationsChina was in the dogwater for the 200 years before deng xiaoping lmao

[@amos4art]

Well, after this video I WOULD like to go and see this show.

[@chrisschneiders6734]

The criticism has been around as long as they have been touring, they were based newyork l think many many years ago, l went to one of there performances in australia maybe 15 +years ago, maybe the best live performance both in orchestra, dance and costumes l will ever see , brillant and beauifull.

[@sakuramune_]

I got an ad from them before this video 😭

[@flkfnd]

Anti-communist you say? Sign me up.

[@marinatzhang]

Hi Adam, thanks for this dig into Shen Yun, for conflicts of interests, I will first and foremost say that I am a Falun Gong practitioner, and I do see Shen Yun when I do have the time. I do think it is a beautiful show so I am a bit concerned that the video you made may come across as a bit biased. But I may also be biased so take what you will. Like how the SY advertisements depict, most of its performance is traditional chinese dance and only a small fraction is on FLG. The show on average has around 20 individual performances, usually 16- 17 will be dances, 2 will be songs, and 1 will usually be a instrumental virtuoso. Of the 20 performances, I will say that only around 20 percent mentions FLG or the persecution. FLG do not promote homophobia or far-right conspiracies nor do the performances depict these ideas. I am aware that wikipedia has taken many of FLG's teachings out of context, but if I am wrong, I will appreciate if you can send me a reference to the original text. The FLG performances in SY mostly are trying to raise awareness of the persecution in China, promote the tenets of the practice: truth compassion, and forbearance, as well as the belief that there may be high powers operating in our lives, so that obviously may touch upon atheism and evolution. I think regardless of whether a person is religious or not, truth, compassion, and forbearance are common values anyone can relate to. Regardless of the 20 percent FLG content, SY is a world class traditional Chinese dance show by itself, all of the performers are highly skilled and the whole performance is a great experience. For each show you get a live orchestra that combines both eastern and western instruments, a cinematic and animated backdrop, plus a whole new performance every year... Ballet dancers, martial artists, composers, conducters, producers, designers and millions of people who have seen SY gave raving reviews about the show...so all I am saying is, even if you don't like the FLG content, SY is still a great show, otherwise why would we see such a huge exponential growth in these 20 years. Before anyone says that SY's gotten big because of FLG money...if you have probed into FLG texts, you will know that donations from FLG practitioners to SY is discouraged, especially donations higher than 1k.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Thanks for your comment. It’s a really reasoned and measured response. The core of the video is me deciding if I want to go or not. Because that’s my opinion, there is inherently some bias. That said, I don’t think anything I included is untrue. If you look at other comments, there are a lot of anti FLG themes that I chose not to include. But I don’t see how you can separate FLG, SY, and the Epoch Times. I absolutely respect your beliefs. And I love that you’re able to practice whatever religion you like where you are. If you enjoy the show, that’s great. But for me, it’s not something I feel comfortable supporting.

[@jarroyomaranata]

Thank you for explaining all this I had non idea! I’m buying my ticket right now.

[@hyc1266]

FaLun Gong is a cult and criminal organization about modern slavery and uses anti-communism and religion as a cover. The dancers and news media workers receive no salaries and profits all go to the cult leaders only. The CFO of the cult was just arrested by US FBI a few weeks ago. US FBI has forgotten to check with CIA before making the arrest.

[@jorhanwu7741]

When it quacks like a cult…and walks like a cult… it’s probably a cult…similar BS as most other cults and religions

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Yeah possibly, I'm just not sure what "cult" actually means, so I didn't want to make that judgement.

[@kgbgb3663]

2:28 Your video so far looks as if it is trying to debunk propaganda narratives. Then you say the movement was founded "in 1992, three years after the Tiananmen Square massacre". As you bring up the subject, I'd like to tell you a relevant bit of my personal history. I used to work in an international college in the UK. We (the British staff) were always amazed that our mainland Chinese students wouldn't believe that the Tiananmen Square massacre had happened. It was really depressing, the power of state propaganda to completely fool a whole upcoming generation about what had happened in their own capital city when they were toddlers. _We_ knew about it, over ten thousand miles away. How on earth could _they_ not know? Then, I think about 2005 or 2006, something weird happened. In small background articles in the Western media -- never in a prominent place -- it was admitted that _they were right_ and _we were wrong!_ It turned out that it was _us_ who had been the victims of propaganda! It was now revealed that all of the supposed witnesses of the massacre were not even present at the time. At most, they were within earshot but outside eyeshot, heard firing, and assumed the worst. (The gunshots turned out to be to disable loudspeakers mounted high on lampposts.) There was a famous video of a young man carrying two shopping bags who stood in front of a column of tanks to prevent them entering the square to crush the demonstrators. It turned out to be no such thing. The video as it had been presented in the West was cut short, leaving his fate unclear -- it is still possible to find plenty of Westerners who will swear blind that at the end of the video, the lead tank runs him over. In fact, analysis of the video shows that the tanks were attempting to _leave_ the square after everything was over. And the tanks were incredibly careful not to hurt the man -- each time he moved in front of one, it stopped dead, so as not to touch him. There is contact, but only because he chose to go to the lead tank and climb up on it to talk to the crew. Eventually, a friend of his goes up to him, tells him to stop being silly, and leads him away. Western diplomatic cables (not revealed at the time) showed that Western diplomats had no evidence that the"massacre" had happened, and doubted that it had. There was death and destruction that day, but not in the Square. It happened a couple of miles to the west, and involved an ambush by armed "demonstrators" on a column of _unarmed_ soldiers heading for the square. Many were killed. (The soldiers, that is, not the insurgents, though I imagine some of those were killed when armed reinforcements arrived.) The mutilated or charred bodies of young soldiers were hung from overpasses or out of the windows of the buses they had been on. I've seen the photos. The flurry of articles soon disappeared. It seemed that each news outlet felt the need to report the truth, _once,_ because it had been revealed when the diplomatic cables were made public. But they then went back to publishing articles that mentioned the massacre in passing, as if it were an established fact rather than a debunked lie. Almost all Westerners still believe the propaganda version, as you seem to. It was only because my friends and I had long been interested in our students' "erroneous" beliefs about the events that we paid special attention to the articles that revealed the truth, discussed them, and so fixed the real story in our memories. This is how our rulers in the West manipulate our views about the other peoples of the world. Shen Yen is a part of that psy-op against us.

[@angelxxsin]

Thank you for this.

[@pennyscally9640]

Thank you for this. I had read something similar from another source a year or so ago. I feel we've been involved in one huge psy-ops since the beginning of the 20th century. I oftentimes feel like my perception of reality is different from everyone else's.

[@solomonrivers5639]

How is the top authority on Chinese dance a white lady??

[@tariq_sharif]

The answer is in your question (hint: the last two words)

[@robindowensauthor9917]

Mymother insisted that we buy tickets to Shin Yun. This was in 2020. Needless to say all the performances were canceled. However, they were great in following up and making sure we got new tickets. unfortunately my mother passed away before the show came around again. I took a friend and we actually sat in the front row. I loved the dancing and the colors, but the propaganda disturbed me and look back at Chinese history also included propaganda. I had a real problem with soldiers and others prostrating themselves to the rulers. So, even though it was very beautiful, I’m not going again.

[@reinpeng2913]

Bro, thanks for explaining the lore behind all these ads

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

You bet! I had to know myself

[@atroyz]

Wow I may be immune to advertising because seen these posters on Muni but I assumed it was for some cheesy dance class and never gave them a second glance. Now I’m somehow even MORE intrigued.

[@UltraObscene84]

That org has pretty much taken over my hometown. They own numerous businesses and schools here...its strange.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

If you don't mind sharing, where is your hometown?

[@UltraObscene84]

@AdamDoesNotExist Middletown, NY. They just bought our old Social Security building for some Epoch style newspaper of sorts, our Asian grocery store is affiliated (buttloads of Shen Yun posters), revamped an old department store in our downtown that sells upscale stuff (we're a working class town...it's kinda out of place), a college and a prep school. There's no problem with our town getting a makeover (we have a fast growing population of NYC transplants), but knowing the affliation, it's creepy. They also just bought an old elementary school (we used to have neighborhood schools and have since condensed them) on the 'roughest' street in town (it used to be, but it's a lot safer now).

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Interesting! That's close to their Dragon Springs HQ so it's not shocking to hear a lot of Falun Gong followers want to live close by. I'm sure it's been pretty wild to see all the change there.

[@UltraObscene84]

@AdamDoesNotExist Yeah, it's super close. I don’t mind the diversity though we've always been a diverse place. It's more like an 'Oh wow' reaction...our mayor is very involved in our town's revitalization (it also helps that our town hall and police station are down the street from his restaurant) and the income it brings so he welcomes it.

[@jeanettewu2537]

Sometimes religious communities just take over towns. So long as they don't violate federal or state laws, they're allowed move in and set up a voting bloc. American cities are also kind of designed to allow communities to self-segregate.

[@FesterWerks]

I was looking for something to do in Savannah in Jan 2025, saw they were performing. Glad I found this video before spending any cash.

[@boogiemarsh]

Thanks, I needed to know the details about Shen Yun and you opened my eyes. lets say I visit China regularly

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

I’m jealous! I’ve never been to China. And yeah I was completely shocked with everything behind Shen Yun

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

lol!

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

Shen Yun rip-off it's dance choreography from CPC established cultural dance troupes. 2 Falungong members set themselves on fire inside TienAnMen Square several years ago. T'was revealed that a CNN "journalist" have ties with these members.

[@thebuddhaheartsutra]

@@AdamDoesNotExist You should visit China. I am glad I did. It really opened my eyes to mainstream media misrepresentation of the country.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Luke Korns' most recent video is one my favorites on KZbin. China looks beautiful. I am a bit wary of the US State Department warning about travel there, but I don't know how real that is.

[@ThroatSore]

Is the clip broken on the mic?

[@andrewnorrie2731]

The Falungong is not violent? Several Gongers self-immolated in Beijing as a protest. And if you are Gonger and come down with a terminal illness, you are expected to eschew modern, science-based medicine and simply meditate. As you can imagine, this does leave some practitioners spending their final months in extreme agony.

[@SippyCupAdventures]

I had no idea what Shen Yun was. Now I do, sort of. I don't know whether to cheer or jeer. This is a video I'd have to rewatch over and over to make any real comment, which I don't have time for, so Ill just leave it at: Nice video, as always.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Thanks! It was a good lesson for me to do a bit of research before I commit to making a video to make sure it's a topic I actually want to cover.

[@strongbrain3128]

Watching Shen Yun is like watching a death show with fake claims, created by a mad man, like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charles Manson, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Shoko Asahara. Because Falon Gong's founder Hong Zhi Li is anti-China, he is very welcomed by the US politicians who are so against China.

[@haniahannslew4108]

ah you just falled for this promotional video that promotes shen yun. I am sure the guy in the video is getting paid a heavy sum to promote shen yun but makes it sound like research of what shen yun and falongong are.

[@XKnightLightX]

It's just history or stories ina beautiful way. God would intervene in the stories in some cases I think. Whether it affects your or not depends on what you know. So just go and enjoy it. The youtuber here can sukit. Because I will still go and take the golden nuggets and separate the bullsht on my own. Also homosexuality jsnt actually right. Doesnt mean I am homophobic or hostile to them. I just recognize its conflicting nature.

[@kgbgb3663]

@@sarahsamuel1270 Surely you know that Shen Yun is _anti-Chinese_ propaganda, not _pro-Chinese?_ It's a bit rich blaming the Chinese for it!

[@lauriivey7801]

So long as you understand that it's propaganda, I believe you can still enjoy the beauty and skill involved in the show ... of course, I suppose some people would oppose giving them money, but at least it'd be well-earned

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

I agree with this. The show looks really cool. Even if it isn't all it seems.

[@MorbidEel]

If you consume enough propaganda it will eat you instead.

[@scronx]

What isn't propaganda? Every movie, book, sitcom is a sermon for gliberalism these days. Every GD TV commercial!

[@lauriivey7801]

@@scronx Everything is propaganda, just various degrees

[@strongbrain3128]

Watching Shen Yun is like watching a death show with fake claims, created by a mad man, like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charles Manson, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Shoko Asahara. Because Falon Gong's founder Hong Zhi Li is anti-China, he is very welcomed by the US politicians who are so against China.

[@lynnhall8720]

I am about to go for the third time. I have enjoyed the performances immensely; they are full of magic and incredible choreography coupled with visual effects, exquisite costumes and extremely talented dancers. I know nothing of the politics behind any of it, so I will just enjoy seeing the performance in London in a couple of weeks time. 💞

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

I hope this gave you a bit more context. Enjoy the show!

[@carisaunders2346]

I'm waiting to go next year. My granddaughter will be 5, old enough to attend. She will love the dance, movement and colour. It's entertainment. It will be a fun weekend together.

[@lynnhall8720]

@Carisaunders: the first time I went, there was a little girl behind me, aged about 6. Some of the special effects were astounding and I overheard her speaking to her mother, wondering how these fears were performed; she declared, "I KNOW! It's magic!" I had to restrain myself from turning around and confirming her declaration! I was as enthralled as she was!

[@lynnhall8720]

*feats* Sorry, there are no options for editing typos.

[@strongbrain3128]

Watching Shen Yun is like watching a death show with fake claims, created by a mad man, like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charles Manson, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Shoko Asahara. Because Falon Gong's founder Hong Zhi Li is anti-China, he is very welcomed by the US politicians who are so against China.

[@JankyAF]

great video, janky do thanky, i have had all these same questions for years, always saw the new poster every year.

[@hyc1266]

FaLun Gong is a cult and criminal organization about modern slavery. The dancers receive no salaries and profits all go to the cult leaders only. The CFO of the cult was just arrested a few weeks ago.

[@leroyusa935]

Your opinion is a statement of freedom of speech. If you made up your mind and did not see this performance, that is your choice. Everybody should have their own opinions about religion, evolution, and human lifestyle preferences. The most important fact about this performance is that they don't believe in violence or hurting others. If all religions have this policy, there wouldn't be so many wars and problems in this world. Devine spirituality through meditation should never be criticized. My family, after seeing this performance, has made us better people to fully understand that human kindness is truly devine and not a cult message. Peace, joy, and happiness to you, while on your journey called life.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

This is an incredibly respectful way to offer criticism. I applaud you for that. I agree that there are a lot of really great aspects of Falun Gong and covered some of my favorites in the video. And I'm really happy to hear that they've benefited you and yours positively.

[@albertatrafficante4261]

America gives the world Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Lady Gaga. Yes, I am going to see beautiful dancing.

[@wandayonder9772]

Yes, and we don't see any vids criticising the obscene wealth and beliefs of those performers. I'm going to SY for the colour, dancing, live orchestra and for something different.

[@edplantaganet4527]

1) I lived in Singapore for 3 years. A swastika adorned the front of virtually every Buddhist temple on the Island. It has a different meaning in the orient but you must know that because of all the research you did. 2) I’ve subscribed to the Epoch Times for nearly 5 years. They may have a traditional, classical liberal (as term with which you are probably unfamiliar) slant but I’ve yet to see them obliged to print a retraction; I wonder if you can say the same about the newspapers you subscribe to. 3) Thank you for tossing around the labels. They were of considerable assistance to me in deciding whether or not to buy tickets.

[@hyc1266]

FaLun Gong is a cult and criminal organization about modern slavery and uses anti-communism and religion as a cover. The dancers and news media workers receive no salaries and profits all go to the cult leaders only. The CFO of the cult was just arrested by US FBI a few weeks ago. US FBI has forgotten to check with CIA before making the arrest.

[@OppositeofHATE7]

I don't even know about all the backstory conspiracy stuff, but the show itself was just plain boring! Saw it at the kennedy center and we almost walked out, it was a snooze-fest. I honestly couldn't remember anything about what I saw right after, and just wanted to move on with my evening. I hope people don't get sucked into hate-watching it, as I imagine that still helps whatever it is this thing is feeding. Please patronize your local theaters' other shows and artists!!!!

[@martaszyszka7654]

My husband and I didn't snooze, sleep, or yawn. We loved it.

[@Dog-999i]

@@martaszyszka7654Why did you love a show made by a religious cult? Do you see plays made by the Church of Scientology and Heaven’s Gate as well?

[@seraphik]

literally got an ad from them right before this vid lol

[@CelticLibra]

Me too, but mid roll; and I had a good belly laugh! 😂

[@PungiFungi]

Sick and tire of labeling simple common sense as "far right".

[@Ozzo404]

Looking forward to seeing their show even more now

[@crimsonalucard]

Everybody in the US thinks China is doing religious persecution but really it's more akin to banning Scientology and cults. Freedom religion has a downside in that it allows cults to exist, and dictatorships have the benefit of being able to ban religions that are obviously cults. China just toes the other side of the spectrum.

[@grumpystiltskin]

But is Communism a religion.

[@crimsonalucard]

@@grumpystiltskin nope. They don't believe in mythological shit like gods or immortality. But definitely it shares things in common with religion like ideology and group think.

[@baronperez8200]

Thanks for letting us know, will definitely not be going to China if there is no freedom there.

[@shadetreader]

Did you intend to get a comment section full of right-wingers? 🤮

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

No I did not! Though I'm pretty moderate on most issues.

[@pong9000]

Comments which are civil yet inconvenient are being deleted.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

I’ve never deleted a comment on any video. If you say something that violates KZbin’s policies they might delete it automatically.

[@pong9000]

@@AdamDoesNotExist A lot of comments here have violated KZbin's policies or been reported.

[@kgbgb3663]

@@AdamDoesNotExist KZbin's policies are whatever the DS says they are. (I was going to write "WH" instead of "DS", but then I would have had to make an explicit exception for when a populist like Trump was in the WH.) For example, I recently posted a purely factual comment about Alexei Navalny, whom the Western press routinely but ludicrously calls "the Russian opposition leader". It was suppressed. I broke it down into ten paragraphs to get past the algorithm. Five of them were suppressed. I broke those down to separate sentences; seven were suppressed. I broke those down to separate clauses; two were suppressed. The two that I had to completely re-phrase to get past the guardians of the narrative both involved the name of your country and a verb that represents an arguably disreputable action.

[@IanCote-q5v]

Complete waste of money. If you need a good nap, 100% recommended. If not, avoid!

[@helixmoore7636]

I doubt you went

[@snarflatful]

So.... I learned nothing from this report.

[@nunyabiznes4471]

Shen Yun is beautiful. I have gone twice. It’s lovely.

[@CH123M]

After all the time and effort you invested in researching to make this video, I think watching the show for yourself would be the missing piece. I have watched Shen Yun three times and I loved it! The experience of a live performance it's hard to describe to others, but it is something worth experiencing at least for research purposes! Who knows... you could be pleasantly surprised if you give it a chance, I personally think, you won't regret it.

[@秋分-d8i]

that means you know nothing about shows in China.

[@strongbrain3128]

This is like watching a death show with fake claims, created by a mad man, like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charles Manson, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Shoko Asahara. Because Falon Gong's founder Hong Zhi Li is anti-China, he is very welcomed by the US politicians who are so against China.

[@SyTacLoc]

I am Chinese and love Chinese cultures. I go to see the show every year because it’s different each year. I am familiar with Chinese Buddhism so I have the advantage to understand the Monkey King from the story of Journey to the West.I studied Chinese history and know the dance of different dynasty. It is a show I cannot describe to people. The special effects, scenery, music, dance and story telling of the hosts make it very entertaining.

[@JohnnyAngel8]

But why support an organization that promotes so much ignorance and hatred? Their views on evolution and LGBT are harmful and an affront to thinking people.

[@kgbgb3663]

I saw a similar show in Wuhan in 2019. It's a lot better when presented with a constructive and positive attitude, rather than with the hateful and destructive attitude imbued by an anti-Chinese pro-GAE cult and propaganda outfit.

[@BurrPulch]

My wife and I saw Shen Yun in Seattle early 2023. It was a beautiful performance. I had been considering whether to go or not, and learning that the CCP is against it was the clincher. I don't know anything about the politics, but the performance was great. I am glad we went, even though it was in Seattle which has along with San Francisco become the b-u-t-h-o-l-e of the US.

[@annachlebnickova8816]

This is an amazing show. What I liked the most is the original classical music and a very high level dance. One cannot compare with some contemporary dance performances.

[@jimslancio]

Shen Yun has a marketing/advertising budget that dwarfs the Manhattan Project. Before I go, I want to know who's bankrolling them.

[@高礼福]

They are funded by NED (National Endowment of Democracy), A financial arm of the ClA.

[@高礼福]

In other words, It's was funded by your tax dollars.

[@cjyoung4080]

@@高礼福 wouldnt be surprised. They are "useful idiots" in helping CIA spread their anti- Chinese propaganda.

[@AYVYN]

@@高礼福 I’m not going to take your word for it, but will do more research. I do know media tycoons like Murdoch are 4 generations away from losing everything due to their blunders.

[@kingofcastlechaos]

That pro tip regarding karma ratios got you a thumb's up, and will be checking out your other content.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Thanks!

[@Bluebelle51]

they are a cult

[@adeinld8548]

This show deadass made me feel so uncomfortable and my dad loves this because he was born in an era that loves hatred

[@nateone9588]

Apart from tge traditional Chinese ladies, it's kind of like an adult Chinese cocomelon

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Lol. Interesting connection

[@jeremymoses5758]

I just saw this show last night. Like (I'm sure) practically everyone, I saw the ads and assumed it was something like a traditional Chinese style ballet. And for 95% of the show, it was. Some of the most breathtaking dancing, gymnastics, and artistry that you'll see anywhere. My mouth was hanging open. I only started learning about the stuff in this video a few hours before the show, which gave me a case of whiplash. I live in uber liberal Burlington Vermont, where this show is performed every year, so it blew my mind that it could have this other side to it and still be going on. I didn't see any anti-homosexuality stuff, but the other 5% of the show had a couple of songs that included lines denouncing atheism and evolution. The English translations were printed in the program but also broadcast on the screen providing the stage backdrop, so everyone could see if they didn't read it. The final dance was set in modern day China and concluded with three evil policemen closing in on some Falun Gong practitioners in a park. Just as they're about to attack the sky went dark, there were flashes of thunder and lightning which made them run away, and an enormous tsunami rose up over the high rise buildings in the background. Then the sky opened up and a messianic looking figure in a white robe descended. The modern imagery disappeared and was replaced by a golden background with hypnotic lines emanating toward the audience, while dancers came onto the stage in traditional celestial attire which seemed (to me) to symbolize the purer traditional ways making a comeback. It was surreal and felt kind of Jehovahs Witness-y. I'm not sorry I went the once, but I wouldn't have bought tickets in the first place if I had known about this and I won't be going back. As we were leaving the theater it was nothing but other audience members talking about what an amazing show it was, I feel like the propaganda elements went straight over most people's heads.

[@billcali4225]

We attended a performance about 5 or so years ago thinking it was going to be a great cultural dance performance. (Should have done more homework like you did.) The dancing was beautiful but was marred by the constant baggering theme of religion. It is definitely a cult and we asked for our money back. They refused and we took the matter to the NY Consumers Affairs department and nothing came of it. We lost a lot of money having to have to watch their underhanded way of proselytizing. I never recommend this to anyone.

[@Dog-999i]

The entire point of these cults is to scam you out of your money. Scientology does the exact same thing. Sorry for your experience but hopefully it will persuade others not to see Shen Yun.

[@Max-nu6dx]

Why should you have gotten your money back wtf

[@Zmoulinka-vv8qj]

Did you know that Chinese culture was all about religion? Why would you get the money back? You were there and nobody forced you to be here. You get product (performance) and then you wanted money back. That is strange logic, that is like I would buy some food then eat it and then want to get my money back, because I did not like it.

[@kcatarino]

That’s what just set my alarms offtoo. I was interested in seeing it so I was looking at their website and I found a bunch of oddly Christian art in their store.

[@parfumdepecheparfumdepeche2209]

It IS sadc😢 what IS wrong With religion After all ?? What IS wrong With spirituality ? Would you opposé it when you go to an Indian show and Hear song texts which are litterally religious textx????? Would u bé bothered if u go to sée a show from Afghanistan or turkey and Sée éléments of Soufi schools there ??? Why did pple become so sensitive against all that IS spiritual or religious ?😢

[@sandrajenkins6822]

It's like watching a lot of people put their feet over their heads. Actually it is watching a lot of people putting their feet over their heads. I can't put my feet over my head so maybe I should go so I can watch other people putting their feet over their heads.

[@boris8787]

I don't support Shen Yun or Biden. 🚫🚫

[@SyTacLoc]

You don’t support Shen Yun because you support Chinese Communist Party?

[@AYVYN]

China banned them, therefore America and Europe will allow them simply to oppose China. “Opposition then becomes, in their estimation, an indispensable duty of self-love” - Alexander Hamilton

[@TerraStory225MYA]

I knew the moment I saw the adverts that this was right wing propaganda. It just has that vibe. Had no idea it was connected to Epoch times though. However the adverts had my propaganda alarms blaring.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Impressive intuition. I frankly had no idea what it was until I started making this video.

[@kcatarino]

Yeah, once I saw the one with all the supposedly random people praising it being Christian pastors and what not that off some red flags

[@CB-sx8xh]

I saw their show recently, to me it was like a cross between lovely ballet and an LSD trip...

[@hyc1266]

FaLun Gong is a cult and criminal organization about modern slavery. The dancers and news media workers receive no salaries and profits all go to the cult leaders only. The CFO of the cult was just arrested by US FBI a few weeks ago.

[@catmatism]

Thanks for educating me. I have been wondering why the government oppresses this religion that seems peaceful but did not find it out until your video is in my recommended feed

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@robertparsons313]

A documentary is not complete if it doesn't explain how one man, Jiang Zemin, was the mastermind of the persecution. Saying that "the government" considers them a threat leaves open the misguided suspicion that maybe they did something wrong to provoke the horrors done to them since 1999.

[@MrRezillo]

Why are you whining about Shen Yun making money? They're entertainment; that's what they do. Do you complain about Bruce Springsteen making lots of money? Or Britney Speers? You obviously made this vid with a preconceived agenda.

[@NotMyGumDropButtons.444]

So the enemy of my enemy isn’t my friend Who knew

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Unfortunately there aren't any heroes in this story.

[@kcatarino]

Life is never black-and-white

[@waverly2468]

I finally saw it last year. I enjoyed it although I liked Riverdance more. It's not quite as spectacular as the ads would suggest but it was a good show. The trumpet player in the orchestra was from Russia according to the program and he was phenomenal. Before each dance two announcers explain the background of the dance, speaking in English and then Chinese. If it's part of a quasi-cult then that does explain the ads every year and the ads on the Epoch Times website. The Epoch Times show "California Insider" has excellent interviews on youtube discussing California politics. Thanks for explaining that there's more to it than a group of dedicated dancers working to preserve ancient Chinese dance.

[@saint9715]

0:23 it’s symbolism from Buddhism. implying or attempting to correlate this with a Nazi appropriation is reckless and irresponsible. don’t do that. this makes me question the legitimacy of anything else you are saying or claiming in this video and anything else you might’ve published.

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Yup that’s right

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

Falungong is also backed by the U$ Gov . 🤭

[@fabztau1996]

I watched it last week. I kinda expected the propaganda as I read a review on it, but I could easily see how people get blindsided by it and that's why I think it gets a bad rap. You summed it up perfectly - they aren't a cult, they're just a fringe religious group using performing arts to try and get more people on board with their niche religion. I went and enjoyed the cool dances and the nice costumes. That's all I took from it. Oh and the part about the logo... the swastika was facing the wrong way.