Divine Performing Arts presented its last performance in Europe on April 19th, 2008. In all, Divine Performing Arts presented 45 shows in 18 European cities. When Qi Xiaochun, the Erhu instrumentalist, played the last note, the people were so deeply engaged by the music that there was a moment of silence before she was greeted with thunderous applause. Many people lined up to buy tickets before the performance and hoped they would not miss it.

Ms. Pfoehler said that the show "brought the land of China in a more positive manner to the West." Up until now, she saw China as a military type environment, which was highly disciplined. This show brought another side of China to her attention -- the artistic side, somehow playful with a completely different trait. "This was such a strong contrast to what I ever imagined," said Pfoehler.

Teacher Claudia Kolitz and her mother Berta Bürger watched the matinee of the Divine Performing Arts show on April 19th. They both frequently attend the theatre and came to the Prinzregenten Theatre in Munich on Saturday, where the troupe from New York staged the last performance of their European Tour. They had learned about the show through a newspaper article.

Gabriele Herzig joyfully said, “I liked everything, including the music. I really liked the Mongolian dances with the tea cups (“Mongolian Bowl Dance”). It was very impressive, feasts for the eyes, the others were beautiful too, but this one did it for me because of the beautiful exit.” Her husband spontaneously added: “Yes, I was watching it. They are walking on the heels of their feet. It makes it so beautiful. It looks like they are floating on stage; it is fantastic, quite wonderful".

After completing performances in Romania, the Divine Performing Arts traveled to Italy and presented its first show in Milan. The audience from "opera's hometown" cheered excitedly for all four singers in the show. They also especially liked "Spring Flowers," the first piece in the second half of the show, and offered generous applause.

On Friday, April 18th, the Divine Performing Arts Company delighted the audience at Munich's Prinzregenten Theatre. Munich was the final stop for this Company on its tour through eighteen European countries, with the first performance in Duisburg. Shortly after, the company of artists returned to the USA with its unique show that celebrated the Chinese New Year.

After Divine Performing Arts' performances on Broadway, the company has toured the world presenting the Chinese Spectacular. Wherever it went, audiences who watched the show spoke very highly of the show and at the same time, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has never stopped its interference, trying to stop the show from being held in various cities.

On April 3rd, 2008, Divine Performing Arts staged its fifth performance of the Chinese Spectacular at the Cirkus Theatre in Stockholm. A well-known illustrator for publications for children, Voja Stepanovic, attended the performance under a friend's recommendation. After the show, he told the reporter ecstatically, "I was deeply moved by the show."

The Divine Performing Arts presented its fifth show at Circus Theatre in Stockholm on March 24th with remarkable success. Filmmaker Mr. Stepanovic said the Spectacular brought him tremendous happiness and he would recommend that his family and friends see the show next year. An artist said after the show, "Divine Performing Arts lifted us all the way up to a heavenly realm".

Divine Performing Arts performed the Chinese Spectacular at the Teatrul National Bucuresti on the night of April 8th, 2008. During the shows, audience members often broke into warm applause. After the curtain call many attendees did not want to leave immediately. "It lets you feel the peace and beauty of a brand-new life", said one audience member afterwards.

After the curtain fell at the end of the second show of the Divine Performing Arts Spectacular in Milan on the evening of April 16th, 2008, it was raised twice to enthusiastic applause. The artists answered three curtain calls. The spectators didn't leave until the lights dimmed. Among the audience were many from the worlds of business and fashion.

The first Chinese Spectacular opened in Romania at the Teatrul National Bucuresti, the magnificent national theatre, on the evening of April 7th, 2008. At the end of the performance, the audience lingered in their seats after three curtain calls. One audience member said, "For me, the message is for us to examine our lives and our hearts and don't forget to endure."

On April 15th, 2008, Divine Performing Arts performed its first Chinese Spectacular show at the Alliance Theatre in Milan, Italy, and won enthusiastic applause from the audience. A young Chinese man who is studying architecture in Milan and recently came from China said he would recommend that his classmates and friends go see the Chinese Spectacular the following day.

On March 31st, The Tampere Morning Post covered the premier performance of the Chinese Spectacular. The article mentioned that eleven prominent political figures in Finland and the European Union sent congratulatory letters. The performance included Chinese dance, singing, drums and the unique Erhu solo, and charmed the audience with bright colours and Chinese historical stories. Some audience comments are reproduced here.

The Divine Performing Arts held two shows in the biggest national theatre in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, on April 7th and 8th. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intimidated local Chinese people to deter them from attending the shows and attempted to interfere with the performance. Nevertheless, the two shows were successfully held with no vacant seats.

All eyes were on the stage at Romania's national theatre, when the Divine Performing Arts company presented the Chinese Spectacular. At the end, the cast answered three curtain calls. After the show, political dignitaries, physicians, artists and entrepreneurs shared their newfound insight drawn from the Spectacular.

The US-based Divine Performing Arts company has been touring big cities in Sweden and Finland over the past two weeks. Its presentation of traditional Chinese culture through dance and music has touched the hearts of people fortunate enough to attend its Chinese Spectacular shows. On April 7, 2008, Divine Performing Arts arrived in Romania.

Sami is an author who has published ten children's books. On March 31, she and her husband took their two children to the Chinese Spectacular in Tampere, Finland. Sami explained that the show was educational for her kids, and that she wants to offer them the best parts of Chinese and Western culture. She said that it is really a precious opportunity for her children to enjoy a show highlighting the traditions of their native culture.

Ms. Carolin Segerpalm is a professional dance instructor in Sweden and teaches at a ballet school in Stockholm. After seeing the show at the Circus Theater, she commented that the Chinese Spectacular was the culmination of classical singing, instruments, dancing, choreography, visual arts, background display, and gorgeous colours. She said everything was perfect and that her favourite dance was "Water Sleeves".

On April 3rd, 2008, the Divine Performing Arts staged its fifth performance at the Cirkus Theatre in Stockholm. A famous painter for a children’s publication, Voja Stepanovic, attended the performance on a friend’s recommendation. After the show, he told this reporter ecstatically, “I was deeply moved by the show ... Seeing so many vibrant colours, I am lost for words.”

On April 7th, 2008, the US-based Divine Performing Arts touring company premiered its Chinese Spectacular at the Bucharest National Theatre (Teatru National) in the capital of Romania. The show played to a full house. Some audience members said that the Divine Performing Arts brought them a pleasant surprise, and hoped all the people of Romania could see it.

In response to enthusiastic feed back from the Swedish audience’s after its five shows in Stockholm, Divine Performing Arts was invited to perform an additional show at the Cirkus Theatre in Stockholm, after it concluded its performance in Tampere, Finland. Many of the audience members who came to the special show expressed their appreciation, and the professionals in artistic circles who made it also highly acclaimed the Spectacular.

Psychiatrist Jussi Nikkila and five of his friends watched the second show of the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular in Tampere, Finland on March 31st, 2008. Nikkila could hardly suppress his excitement and readily shared his feelings with the reporter. "The Spectacular has very good energy; I love large-scale programs of this kind!" he said. "The dances express love and care among people".

On March 30th, 2008, the Divine Performing Arts company's Chinese Spectacular premiered at the Tampere Hall in Finland. Finnish MP Pertti Virtanen was in the audience, and later said emotionally, "Every artist should do something for the truth, should have the courage to present it, it is an artist's responsibility to present to the world's people what is happening in China." MP Virtanen said if one tells lies, oppresses and restricts others, one's heart won't be healthy.

The Chinese Spectacular in Linköping Sweden ended in tumultuous applause on the evening of March 27th, 2008. The tickets for the show were sold out two weeks before. A well-known artist Lars Hoffsten, his wife Joanne and their two daughters Alice and Johanna all came to see the show. Lars said, "I like the colours of the show, the delicate dance and the music of course. Everything was excellent, excellent". Joanne said, "I like the dance 'Nymphs of the Sea'. I think this dance is perfect".

It is reported that, in the name of "The Central Commission of Politics and Law", the CCP issued a secret document entitled "Advice on the effective safeguarding of social stability, and ensuring the security of Beijing Olympic Games ". The document requires that Falun Gong should be “strictly guarded against and be severely suppressed” within March and September 2008.

On March 31st, 2008, the Divine Performing Arts successfully presented its second show at Tampere Hall in Finland. Mr. Eero Lehtinen, a former marketing manager who also worked as a clown all over Finland, came with his wife to see the show. Mr. Lehtinen said, "This was the first time we had ever seen this kind of live performance. It was very fine, really great! We've never seen such a variety of gorgeous stage costumes, really beautiful and touching!"

Magnus Rosen is a famous Swedish musician. He told this reporter that he was 'amazed' by the Chinese Spectacular, which was held in Stockholm on March 20th. "The combination of costumes, music, singing, dancing and orchestra was great. It was a gorgeous show," he said. He said he felt the theme of the show was great. The songs helped him learn what is going on in China and he feels that it's everyone's responsibility to help stop the persecution.

After the Chinese Embassy pressured the Swedish authorities to block the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular in Sweden, it turned out that the venue for the show at Linkoping (on March 27th, 2008) were met with an unprecedented rise in ticket demand. According to the organisers, the tickets were sold out two weeks before the show started.

The performance of The Chinese Spectacular in Sweden has obtained consistent high praise from all sectors of society. In order to show their respect of freedom of speech and the value of democracy, several Swedish officials and politicians have attended the performances and announced their support for the Chinese Spectacular.

On March 30th and 31st, the Divine Performing Arts Company brought the Chinese Spectacular to the Tampere Conference Centre in the third largest city in Finland. Many MPs and Finnish people working in the arts expressed their excitement at having the chance to see such an unusual performance.

Mr Huhn, a consultant, went to see the show on recommendation of his friends, "They told me that it was my turn. This is my first time seeing this show and I truly loved the show. I would have loved to listen to the drums for another 15 minutes." The children of another audience member gave him tickets to the show. They invited him to come along, "I have no connection with China. I know nothing about the Chinese traditional culture. But, I can believe that this traditional cultural show can't be shown in China.

On March 15th, 2008, the Divine Performing Arts gave a performance of the Chinese Spectacular at Berlin's International Congress Centre (ICC). Mr. Heinz Gödtke, social lecturer, came to see the show with his wife Inge Gödtke. Both were highly impressed with the show and said, "We truly loved the show. It was all very appealing, including the music, the songs and the texts that were shown on the back drops. They expended a lot of effort on this show."

After watching the Divine Performing Arts' global tour show in Stockholm, Switzerland, movie producer and fashion photographer Mr. Valentino commented on the show from a professional perspective, "The entire show was very professional, seamless. I had a lot of artistic inspiration from this show. This is just amazing!" Mr. Valentino was absolutely amazed by the backdrop. He said, "This is really surprising. In the 'Loyalty of Yue Fei' when the backdrop showed fire on the mountains. Wow! How did they do that?"

Swedish Member of Parliament and member of the foreign relations committee Cecilia Wigstrom attended the third show of the Chinese Spectacular on March 25th, 2008 in Stockholm, Sweden. She said that such a great show should not be suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). She said she appreciated every aspect of the show.

The Divine Performing Arts (DPA)Touring Company presented the second show of the Chinese Spectacular on March 24, 2008, in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Organist Mrs. Corinne Robert and her husband, Mr. Michael Robert, were very animated during the intermission and pleased to share their impressions of the show.

The Divine Performing Arts (DPA) created an unprecedented sensation in Sweden. The theater was filled to capacity for each show. The Swedish audience, known for being reserved and shy, expressed their appreciation for the DPA with deafening applause. VIPs and celebrities who saw the show on March 26th shared their impressions.

Between the 14th and 16th of March, the Gala Spectacular held four shows in the International Conference Centre Berlin, bringing traditional Chinese culture to Germany. The warm atmosphere inside the theatre formed a contrast with the cold breeze outside. Each performance in each show was applauded and every time when it came to the end of the show, the audience would applaud for a long time and the curtain of the stage had to be open again and again. On 14th March, after the first show, some members of the audience gave their impressions of the Spectacular.

The second show of the Chinese Spectacular in Sweden was held at Cirkus Theatre on March 24. The theatre was packed, and warm applause for the artists erupted frequently. One audience said of the hosts of the show, "They are humorous. The American host can speak perfect Chinese, and the Chinese woman spoke fluent Swedish. It was amazing".

Famous Swedish surgeon Goran Mardh and his wife Karin were full of praise for the performers of the show. Dr. Mardh happily claimed, “This performance really moves the hearts of people, I like it very much. I have seen Chinese performances in mainland China and Taiwan before, but tonight’s performance is the best one I have seen yet.

Ms. Helena Bargholtz, a Swedish congresswoman, saw the second show of the Chinese Spectacular with her husband on March 24th. She told reporter that she thought the show was amazing and wonderful. She said she could not understand why the Chinese government has tried to interfere with it. "All the programs were excellent, including the dances and music", she said. "They were very impressive. The show manifested the beauty of Chinese culture".

On March 20th, 2008, the first Chinese Spectacular show in Northern Europe was presented by Divine Performing Arts. Applause from the audience was heard from the beginning to the end. Even after the curtain was drawn, the audience continued applauding. The performers came out for several curtain calls, but the audience was still reluctant to leave.

On March 20th, 2008, the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular debuted at Cirkus Theatre in Stockholm. The audience warmly welcomed the show, and many local artists expressed high praise for the show. Ennart Asd, an artist, his wife Serpil Inanc and their friend enjoyed the show. Serpil Inanc was excited about the Spectacular. She said, "Every performance was great ...The show inspired me to read more about Chinese culture."

The performance of the Chinese Spectacular in Slovakia took place on March 9th, 2008, in Bratislava. The newly built Slovak National Theatre was sold out; the organisers even wished it had bigger capacity than the 900 people it held. Peter Osusky, a medical doctor and Vice-Rector of Comenius University in Bratislava, said that although he had seen Chinese paintings and calligraphy in museums, he had never seen a show such as the Spectacular.

A law student loved the entire show and said excitedly, "The costumes were wonderful to behold! The gracefulness of the dancers was terrific! The entire show was like a kaleidoscope of colours, filled with optimism, strength, full of energy and love of life; as well one could feel the fighting spirit and positiveness." She said about the scene depicting Falun Gong, The Rising Lotus Flower, she said, "One had goose bumps all over ones back."

The Chinese Communist Regime has used all means to prevent the Chinese Spectacular's global tour. When the Chinese Embassy in Sweden tried to stop people coming to watch the first round of performances in Sweden two months ago, it aroused public condemnation as well as, ironically, widespread interest in the show. This time, many people interested in Chinese issues were in the audience.

After presenting 29 performances in nine European countries, the Divine Performing Arts Company (DPA) gave its first show in Stockholm, Sweden on March 20th. The audience included people from all walks of life. Many expressed their indignation at the Chinese Communist Party's interference with the show and its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

On the afternoon of March 16th, 2008, despite the rain, people came to see the final show of the Divine Performing Arts (DPA) at the Berlin International Congress Center. A parliamentarian said, "The main theme is very clear. This show can help people distinguish between good and evil. It is very unique and touching."

A former x-ray technician assistant loved the gracefulness displayed by the male and female dancers, "I loved the male and female dancers very much. Besides, I also was quite impressed with the drummers in The Drummers of the Tang Court scene, as they were very powerful." Ms. Gabriela Morales-Nunez, a nurse, said, "It was a show where one wants to stay and not leave. I really liked the Victory Drums. The dances also caught my eye, especially as to the impression of effortlessness by the dancers".

The Royal Opera House of Denmark initially planned to stage during Easter a Chinese Spectacular, which is a traditional Chinese cultural show from the US. In December last year, however, under pressure from the Chinese Embassy to Denmark the Royal Opera House cancelled the show.On March 18th, 2008, the largest national TV Station in Denmark, DR, aired a four minute-long news piece at the peak hour of 9 pm entitled “Theatre under pressure from the CCP”, which took the news crew nearly a month to produce, interviewing over eighty people.

After watching the Divine Performing Arts, Mieke Bouve, one of the most famous actresses in Belgium said, "I had been looking forward to seeing the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular, for I have been attracted to everything about China. I know that I will go there one day and that’s why I came here. There is a huge difference between the China ruled by the CCP and a free China. Divine Performing Arts presents the original Chinese traditional culture, which is very different from what I’ve known about China.” While talking about her feelings about the shows, Mieke Bouve was very excited. She said, “It’s really beyond words to describe the show".

At the premiere of the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular at Bratislava's Slovak National Theater on the evening of Sunday March 9th, the audience honoured the performers with an enthusiastic standing ovation. Slovakia was the first stop on Divine Performing Arts' tour of post-communist countries, and it was a complete success.

After departing from Vienna, the Divine Performing Arts stopped for one performance in Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia. A few hours before the show, all of the dancers, singers and musicians were working hard in preparation. Nonetheless, the atmosphere in the Slovak National Theater was calm and unbelievably harmonious.

A Member of the Bundestag from the Green Party, Cornelia Behm, was quite impressed with the Chinese Gala Spectacular", performed at The International Congress Centre in Berlin. After seeing the show on Sunday March 15th, she explained that she had to reflect on what she had seen. The show was "something special and very moving" said the politician.

On March 17th, 2008, the Divine Performing Arts performed in Hamburg for the first time at the Theater im Hafen. The more than two-hour-long Chinese Spectacular showcased 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture and was coupled with state-of-the-art animated backdrops.

Renate Vrchovska is a reserved sixty-two year old Czech. She declined the first interview due to a language barrier. Having seen the performance, however, she was deeply touched by the pure beauty of the Gala. She found the reporter and tried to express her feelings in the limited English that she knew, “The performance was wonderful! Deeply moving!”

"Impressive, fascinating, wonderful!" This was the impression left on renowned German historian Professor Arnulf Baring after he attended the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular at the Berlin International Congress Center. Professor Baring said that what he found most amazing was Ms. Qi Xiaochun's Erhu performance. "The sound was simply beautiful".

On the 26th and 27th of February, 2008, the Chinese Spectacular on tour from the USA successfully held three performances in two days in Antwerp, the second largest city in Belgium, which aroused a great sensation. Many people in Europe, including the European Union officials and celebrities, came and watched this show displaying the splendid culture of the Orient.

"This is outrageous," declared Helmut Pauli, Managing Director of the Tonicale Concert Agency in Munich, Germany. Since he agreed to book the Chinese Spectacular at Munich's famed Prinzregenten theater, he says, scarcely a day has gone by without him getting a phone call from the Chinese consul in Munich or her staff. "They are threatening me and my company!"

In the mid-18th century, the most brilliant classical music masters in the history of music including Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert lived in Vienna. The Chinese Spectacular, upon completion of performances in Germany, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Switzerland, opened at City Theatre in Vienna at 7:30 pm, March 6th, 2008. Austrian government officials and celebrities all extended their greetings on the arrival of the Gala Spectacular.

The global Human Rights Torch Relay arrived in Turkey on 1st March, 2008 and the ceremony of the relay was held at the famous Ataturk Park in central Mersin. The Human Rights Torch Relay was initiated by the CIPFG (Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China) on 9th August 2007. The protest revealed the Communist Party (CCP)’s crimes of persecuting Falun Gong, its human rights abuses and violation of the Olympic spirit, calling on the Turkish government and people to pay attention of human rights situation in China and to boycott the Olympics.

After a year of anticipation, the city of Berlin has once again welcomed the Divine Performing Arts. On March 14th, 2008, the Divine Performing Arts presented a fascinating performance of the Chinese Spectacular for the people of Berlin. Upon conclusion of the final act, applause filled the theater, and performers answered curtain calls three times. Numerous members of the audience offered a standing ovation, and many were reluctant to leave.

The Chinese Spectacular by the Divine Performing Arts is sweeping Europe with its ever increasing popularity. The two shows in Vienna, the music capital of the world, attracted a large, appreciative audience representing all walks of live. Among the spectators were quite a number of artists, many of whom came to the last show in Vienna on March 7th, 2008.

On the evening of March 1st, 2008, the French International Conference Centre welcomed the third performance by Divine Performing Arts. This rich and splendid performance once again conquered the heart of the romantic Paris audience. Many French main politicians and well known people in the art circle came to see the show.

On March 8th, the Gala Spectacular safely arrived at Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia, with a performance of the Chinese Spectacular scheduled for the 9th at the new Slovak National Theatre. This is The Divine Performing Arts’ first visit to a former Communist country in central Europe. A week earlier, almost 1,000 tickets were sold to eager customers.

At the conclusion of the second show of the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular at the Prague Congress Centre, the audience responded with a long standing ovation. The performers answered two curtain calls, but when the curtain closed once again, most of the audience was still standing, enthusiastically applauding.

Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular presented two more shows at the Prague Congress Center on March 11th. Many artists were among the audience. Ballet expert Ms. Kostulanova praised the Chinese Spectacular highly. She said, "It was absolutely perfect and excellent. I have never seen such a performance before. All the dancers were the top of the top".

The Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular presented at Vienna's City Hall Performance venue, the Stadthalle, was warmly received by the audience, which responded with multiple rounds of applause on March 7, 2008. People in this capital of music were favorably impressed with the music played with Chinese and Western musical instruments.

The Gala Spectacular performance in Vienna made a stir in this musical city. Many people in intellectual and cultural circles not only saw the show, but they were also deeply touched by the performance. During the intermission of the last show in Vienna, two professors told our reporter that they really enjoyed the show and that the performance brought them a good time.

After seeing the Chinese Spectacular, the president of Lien Direct Association said, "The dancers are wonderful. Tonight I learned about the three features of your classical dance: bearing, form and technique. I think the performers' exquisite bearing and form made the dances so different. You can see technique in other shows, but you cannot find the beauty I saw tonight."

On March 7th, 2008, the Divine Performing Arts Touring Company's second presentation of the Chinese Spectacular in Vienna was honored with continuous applause from the audience. The spectators were delighted by the wonderful show. Traditional Chinese dances, Western and Chinese musical instruments combined to produce Chinese classical music, and a state-of-the-art backdrop transported the audience from the present back to ancient China.

The Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular premiered to a full house at the Slovak National Theater in Bratislava, Slovakia on March 9th, 2008. According to the organizer, the tickets were completely sold out a week before the performance. Many people who did not get tickets in time were disappointed that they could not see it this year.

The Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular premiered at the Prague Congress Center on March 10th, 2008. Many dignitaries, including people from political circles, and art and cultural circles as well as people from all walks of life attended the more than two hours performance showcasing China's 5,000 years of traditional culture.

“Another very good point I want to make is that, the Spectacular also mentioned things about the spiritual side, but it did not make a definition. This makes people feel very good; the audience was not forced to take in anything, I feel it’s very good. It did not stress on a particular religion, but it reminds people of the human beings’ sacred origin. I am very satisfied about this”.

On the evening of March 4th, many gathered at the Theatre du Leman in Geneva for the Chinese New Year Spectacular. To the performers' surprise, renowned Swiss violinist Armene Stakian and a representative from the Traditional Chinese Cultural Arts Renaissance Association presented a music box to the Divine Performing Arts Company in appreciation of their efforts.