(Minghui.org) My son was born and grew up outside of China. He is 20 years old this year, a second year student at Fei Tian College, specializing in Classical Chinese Dance. As a student in an art academy, my son, like his other classmates, also enjoys the privilege of touring with Shen Yun Performing Arts around the world as part of their practicum program. With the program, he not only gains course credits, but also accumulates extensive stage experience, essential for their professional development. The students all deeply appreciate such opportunities.
My Son’s Heartfelt Words
Some time ago, my sister-in-law read some slanderous reports attacking Shen Yun and Falun Gong on social media, and started to object to my son continuing to attend Fei Tian College. After my son learned about his aunt’s doubts, he wrote a sincere email to her to clarify the facts.
His aunt thanked him for his nice letter in Chinese and said that she didn’t truly care about those accusations on social media, and that she was only caring about her nephew’s life at Fei Tian and hopes that he would be well prepared to move into adult life.
My son thanked his aunt for her concerns and said that her letter was very important to him. He assured her that he understands what he shoulders to pursue professional dancing as his career and that he will continue to work hard in the next few years.
My son thought that it would be good if his letter to his aunt could help more people learn the truth, so with his consent, I am sharing his letter:
Dear aunty,
Long time no see! I haven’t seen you since my sister’s wedding two years ago. How are you? I wish both you and my uncle good health, and my cousins great success in their career.
I’m now a second year student at Fei Tian College. Since we also have courses in traditional Chinese culture, I’m also working hard in learning the Chinese language, which I feel would be very useful in the future. Even though my Chinese is not as good as my English, still I am trying to write this letter in Chinese, with a bit more effort and time.
Mom told me a few days ago that you care a lot about me and want to know how I am getting on at Fei Tian College. I’m doing very well, enjoying every day, which is filled with sunshine, happiness and meaningfulness. At Fei Tian, we not only have world-class dance training, but also learn a lot in terms of culture studies and spiritual aspirations. I have made a lot of good friends and feel that I’ve found a second home here.
I got your email address from my mom, and the main reason I am sending you this email is that I would like to say to you: Please do not believe those rumors in the media that discredit Shen Yun. All those reports are untrue and they are trying to discredit our spiritual discipline. Those who were interviewed by the media had left Shen Yun for various reasons, and it could be due to their resentment and dissatisfaction that they made up those false accusations.
You know that I will never lie to you. We’re family members, and I am living and studying at Fei Tian. I can confidently say that this is a very nice place, and there is absolutely no coercion or bullying whatsoever. On the contrary, here at Fei Tian, we all try to conduct ourselves by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. We share common goals and aspirations, and basically, we are all good friends.
As students here, we are truly fortunate. Where else can you find a college which enables the students to perform on world-class stages around the world? Many audience members said in their feedback that they felt the pure and positive energy from our performances, as well as hope for the future. In fact, touring with Shen Yun is part of our practicum program and we also earn credits for our courses.
Fei Tian College bears all the cost, including tuition, full board and accommodation, as well as seasonal clothing, so that students and their families have no financial burden at all. A good person should know to be grateful. I have enjoyed so many benefits here, how can I be indifferent when I see Shen Yun being attacked for no reason?
One needs to look at things with one’s own reasoning, and one mustn’t listen to and believe everything said in the media as if they were all true. What I am trying to say is that aunty, please do not believe those lies and accusations by the media, okay?
You may also show my email to my caring uncle, grandpa, as well as those who care about me. Tell them not to worry about me. Thank you.
My Gratitude as a Parent
I felt very happy and somewhat surprised when I read my son’s email to his aunt in Chinese.
I remember when he was attending elementary school, when we talked with him in Chinese at home, he always replied in English. He was born and grew up overseas, and English is his first language. He has always been very good in all his English language skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing. We hoped that he, as the second generation of a Chinese family, could learn his own language and the Chinese culture. So on weekends, we as parents were very busy, taking him to Chinese school and cultural classes. However, the outcome was far from good. Sometimes he felt that we were forcing him to learn Chinese. At that time, we spent a lot of money, time and effort, but couldn’t achieve much.
My son made rapid progress in his Chinese language proficiency and traditional culture studies in the last few years at Fei Tian Academy of the Arts and Fei Tian College, something we had tried so hard to achieve, and spent a lot of time and money, but still failed in the end. Fei Tian and the teachers there not only helped our son, but also helped us fulfill a beautiful wish that we had long hoped to come true.
I remember my son once told me that he really likes Fei Tian College because the teachers never force him to do anything, and they always encourage students to think independently and encourage them to learn about traditional culture and values so that they can distinguish good from evil, right from wrong themselves.
Just like what my son said in his email that Fei Tian is like his second home, where he has classmates and friends who share common aspirations, and everyone tries to conduct themselves by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. When disagreements and conflicts arise, they all look inward to resolve them. My son no longer needs to worry about things in his school in the past, where if you didn’t want to play electronic games, you would be considered weird and be isolated from others.
At Fei Tian, when my son occasionally felt sick or had a stuffy nose, his teachers would tell him to take some rest and would not arrange any dance training for him until he felt better again.
In terms of the cost at Fei Tian, my son did some calculation: in addition to waived tuition, free board and accommodation, plus clothing, suitcases, monthly pocket money, international travel, sightseeing, accommodation and food, Fei Tian spends over $60,000 per student every year.
Fei Tian spends so much resources in educating my son and other students, helping them constantly improve their professional skills, and offering them precious opportunities that cannot be bought with money. Fei Tian teaches students to return to tradition and become responsible citizens with high morals in society. Students and us as parents feel deeply grateful from our hearts.
We are very grateful to Fei Tian and Shen Yun for giving our son and other students so much loving care and guidance.
As the saying goes: “Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.” I believe that students growing up in such a wonderful environment have both integrity and talent. They hold a very positive attitude in life, and are kindhearted and enjoy helping others. Such young people, no matter where they are and what they end up doing in the future, will be good people who can make great contributions to society.
My Son Learned Self-Discipline and Changed from Good to Better
During summer vacation this year, my son and a few classmates went to Japan for a visit. He bought small gifts for us and other relatives. He said to me, “Mom, now that I have come back from Japan, I would like to spend more time with you.” So, we often ate out together. Once, we went to a hot pot buffet. I could feel that my son had become very self-disciplined, saying that he mustn’t eat too much and reminding me not to waste any food. When we finished, my son rushed to open the door for me and other female patrons. Looking at my son, who is so lively, healthy, kind and understanding, I felt so warm and happy inside.
According to Chinese traditional culture, filial piety comes first. At Fei Tian, students learn to be filial and respectful to their elders, and be positive, optimistic, kind and upright in their daily life. As a parent, I feel much reassured, and at the same time I feel extremely grateful and cherish the opportunity my son enjoys at Fei Tian.
Once, I went to a barber shop with him for a hair cut. The lady owner said to me, “Your son looks so full of vim and vigor. He is so healthy and elegant. Where does he study? He looks so well-educated.” I told her about Fei Tian College and Shen Yun. “He is very lucky. It’s so rare that there is such a place which pays so much attention to traditional values and students’ moral education.” The lady owner said with appreciation.
My Son Is Willing to Endure Hardship
My son was one of the first group of students admitted to the North Academy in Middletown, New York. He was training in classical Chinese dance at that time, and endured heaps of hardship in flexibility training. However, he never complained and was determined that one day he would attend Fei Tian College and participate in Shen Yun annual tours.
I remember that he auditioned three times to go to Fei Tian, but each time he failed to be accepted because he wasn’t tall enough. Some teachers suggested that he might be better off learning a musical instrument instead. I also tried to persuade him to change to learn a musical instrument, seeing how hard he had been training in dance.
“Mom, could you give me another half a year? If I still fail to meet the requirements, then I can consider learning a musical instrument instead. Will that be all right?”
We shared a lot during that period of time, and understood that the fact he wasn’t tall enough to meet the requirement was only a superficial issue, and we should check if we had fallen short in our xinxing cultivation and that we should make more effort in this respect.
Once, when we were sending forth righteous thoughts together to eliminate all the interference blocking my son from attending Fei Tian, my son disagreed and said, “Mom, this is too narrow-minded. We should send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate interference to all those who wish to join Fei Tian.” I felt quite inspired by what he said.
My son was accepted the next time he went for the entrance exam, and was given a three-month probation period. He cherishes the precious opportunity very much.
The Significance of Shen Yun Performance
My son understands very well that it is a mission for him to participate in Shen Yun tours, and it has significant implications. Shen Yun revives China’s 5,000 years of traditional culture and values, showing people what China was like before communism, and exposing the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of righteous faith and human rights. For many professional artists, it’s their life-time dream to perform in world famous theaters, such as the Lincoln Center in New York City. My son had such an opportunity the first year he participated in the Shen Yun tour, and he cherished it very much.
My son learned from the Shen Yun tour that he was using the form of performing arts to resist the persecution by the Communist Party, and it is his mission and responsibility to do so, and the hardship and pain he endures in dance training is part of such a mission.
Shen Yun Exhibits Light and Positive Energy
Nicky Billou, founder of eCircle Academy, said in an interview after he watched Shen Yun in Toronto, Canada in April 2024: “The underlying theme of the entire evening was love, joy, and peace. You could feel it, and I could feel it in the entire performance. It’s magnificent!”
He loves Chinese culture very much and despises communism. He believes that Shen Yun is playing a very important role in the historic process of mankind putting an end to communism.
“I myself have always been drawn to the Chinese people, Chinese culture, and reading and understanding Chinese literature and philosophy. It’s something that I think permeated the entire evening. But another thing that permeated the evening was courage, absolute total courage. These are people that are standing up against tyranny, that are standing up against hate, that are standing up against oppression.
“When the Soviet Union was defeated, that chapter of communism ended and everybody thought that was the end of communism, but it wasn’t, it was just a major part of communism being defeated. Right now, there’s another aspect, another chapter of communism, which is screaming loudly, shouting loudly. And it’s even made its way into many Western countries, these Western countries are from within fighting against this evil tyranny... And I believe that the people here that put on this brave performance are part of the forces of light that will vanquish the forces of darkness.”
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Category: Perspectives
