(Minghui.org) Music is an integral part of traditional Chinese culture. Liji (The Book of Rites) states, “Virtue is the foundation of humanity; music is the outward radiance of virtue.”
Therefore, music was created and passed down to harmonize heaven and earth, improve one’s character, and nurture the soul toward a higher realm.
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Due to the influence of modern thought, traditional music and rites were neglected during the early days of the Republic of China. When Chiang Kai-shek visited Philippine president Elpidio Quirino in 1949, he remarked that his hobbies were music and nature.
In the book Chinese Culture and Chinese Music Education, He Mingzhong, a Taiwanese musician, recalled: “Since Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek resumed his duties in Taiwan, he has hosted state banquets for visiting heads from various countries. They include President Syngman Rhee of South Korea, President Ngo Dinh Diem of Vietnam, President Carlos P. Garcia of the Philippines, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower of the United States.
“After each banquet, Generalissimo Chiang would invite the national orchestra to play, no other entertainment. Before the orchestra’s performance, he would explain to the visiting head of state the elegance and beauty of Chinese music. After the performance, he would accompany the guests backstage to view the various musical instruments used by the national orchestra. From this one can see his interest and appreciation of traditional Chinese music.”
To promote music education, Chiang updated the “Supplementary Notes on the Two Chapters of the Principles of People’s Livelihood: Education and Music.” He advocated including music education as an important component in the nation’s system of education. More specifically, he planned for music departments to be established in various universities and primary and secondary schools. He also attended many Confucian rites featuring classic music and had his photo taken next to musicians and dancers.
Chiang has always been seen as a military strongman, yet numerous historical records and diary entries reveal he had a genuine appreciation of music. Chiang remembered that, at age 10, his mother instructed him in ancestral worship rituals, emphasizing that each movement should be in harmony with the rhythm of the music.
In 1968, Chiang visited the Taipei Confucius Temple to listen to the music of Confucian rituals. After the ceremony, he posed for a photo with the performers. “After watching the Confucian ceremony, I feel even more moved by the profound influence of ritual and music. They can cultivate personal character and promote social harmony. Witnessing the harmonious movements and hearing elegant melodies will inspire and encourage virtuous behavior,” he remarked. “Therefore, schools at all levels should pay special attention to the nurturing and guiding influence of ritual and music on students.”
Throughout his life, Chiang emphasized the importance of music in relation to society, education, and the military on many occasions.
In a 1934 publication, he wrote, “What modern administrative professionals need to know is that pure and noble music can cultivate character, foster moral values, soothe sorrow, and inspire ambition. It provides a spiritual refugee and solace for people, eliminating various misfortunes imperceptibly and enabling the entire society to flourish and gradually progress upwards.”
That same year, Chiang gave a speech on “The core principles of a healthy lifestyle and exercise” for the New Life Movement. He said, in part, “What is music? Music is rhythm, and only through harmonious rhythm does it achieve its sublime beauty. The rhythm of music and the moderation of music have the same meaning and function. Therefore, we must understand music to comprehend ritual; we also must value music to value ritual.”
The following year, Chiang once again stressed the importance of music in a speech, saying, “To save the nation, we must implement an education that integrates literary and martial arts, as well as moral cultivation.
“If people do not understand music, they will not know the nuances of joy, anger, sorry, and happiness, and therefore cannot live a fulfilling life,” he remarked. “Similarly, a school, an army, or society that lacks music cannot be considered complete. Music is especially important for the military; it is essential for maintaining morale, ensuring discipline, and fostering unity during peacetime. It is critical to comfort the weary, boost morale, and strengthen military power during wartime. All these aspects rely on military music.”
Chiang acknowledged the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) damage to rites and music in his early days. In a 1933 speech, he said, “The Communist Party taught us to discard ritual, thereby destroying all morality and neglecting things like music. They taught us that China should abandon all these, that anything related to art, ethics, and traditional culture must be completed destroyed. The Communist Party, which is destroying our country and nation, and ruining our virtues and intellectual abilities, is also our greatest and most immediate enemy.”
When the CCP seized power in 1949, the destruction of culture—including music—reached an unprecedented scale.
The CCP’s “revolutionary songs” are primarily rousing melodies or songs that glorify the Party. They are filled with themes of violence, lies, and inhumanity. During the Cultural Revolution, for example, only several yang ban xi (model operas) were allowed. The lyrics of the theme song of one of them, Hong Deng Ji (The Red Lantern), said, “hatred, once planted in the heart, will sprout.”
In the education system, children were instructed to sing pro-CCP songs such as “Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China” and “The Internationale” throughout their schooling. These songs were designed to indoctrinate students with messages of class struggle, hatred, and violence.
China had traditional melodies and folk songs. The CCP replaced the traditional words with lyrics that were pro-CCP and propagated them through broadcasts on radio and television. The melody of Dong Fang Hong (The East Is Red), a well-known CCP song, actually came from a folk song in Shanxi Province called Zhi Ma You (Sesame Oil).
Both government agencies and state enterprises in China hold regular contests for pro-CCP songs. They repeatedly flood the minds of the Chinese with these melodies to hammer home the communist ideology. In recent years, the CCP has exported some of these songs overseas to further advocate for communism on a global scale.
To revive traditional Chinese culture, Shen Yun Performing Arts was established in 2006 in New York to present “China before communism” to the world. Since then, they have performed over 10,000 times in more than 200 cities across Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Australia. Audience members have enthusiastically applauded the performances, impressed by their high artistic level, and the grace and beauty of the ancient culture. Many have also expressed their hope that China will return to its traditional culture and begin a new chapter.
Suk-ja Oh, an opera composer and board member of the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA), attended the opening performance of Shen Yun at Gwacheon Civic Center in May 2025 with her musician husband, Yong-yeol Han.
Ms. Oh, who was named one of Korea’s Top 10 Composers in 2024, said there are similarities in the tonality of ancient Chinese music and traditional Korean music. “That’s why it sounded so familiar—almost like listening to the melodies of my hometown. The scale feels warm and accessible, the arrangements are clear and lively, and the music easily resonates with the audience. This performance was truly rewarding and filled me with a mysterious sense of emotion,” she said.
Shen Yun performances also expose the reality of the CCP’s persecution of individuals practicing their faith and the Party’s ongoing human rights violations. Ms. Oh remarked, “The final scene portrayed the destruction of life by communism, with the divine descending from the heavens to bring peace. The way it concluded was truly unforgettable.”
Her husband, Yong-yeol Han, a former saxophonist who now volunteers as a music instructor, said, “I’ve seen many operas and musicals, but this performance was truly stunning!" What impressed him most was the way the melodies were handled.
“The performance, including the dancers and music, exceeded my expectations—clean, precise, and without any excess. It was truly remarkable,” he said, adding that the performance offered valuable insights for teaching music. “The unique structure and flow of the music have given me much to reflect on and think about more deeply.”
Professional drummer and composer Pete Parada saw the performance at the Fisher Center at Nashville in Tennessee in May 2025: “The musicianship was incredible, and the vocalists were—I was not ready for that,” he remarked.
“The sound that came out of their bodies,” he said as he described the baritone. “The last notes that he hit almost pulled me out of my chair. I was not expecting it. It was like almost getting blown back from the stage. I loved it.”
Songwriter Cliff Buckosh applauded its Eastern and Western orchestra along with its patented digital backdrop: “The music is fantastic. I love the live orchestra. All the different instruments that you have and the orchestra, and it blends perfectly with the dance and with the screen in the back. The way the projection is, where they go right into it, and the music fits every beat.”
Virtuous music has come a long way in the past 5,000 years. From simple and modest melodies that connected with the divine, it matured over time. Humanity’s moral decline, on the other hand, poses a serious danger. Then, with the arrival of the CCP, thousands of years of a glorious civilization were destroyed. Shen Yun’s mission is to revive Chinese traditional culture.
Many cultures retain legends that mankind has not been forgotten and that the divine will return. Shen Yun’s outstanding success over the past 20 years has given the world inspiration and hope, paving the path for a new era.
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