Spectacular Debuts in Atlanta, Audience Comes From Miles Away

The Chinese New Year Spectacular debuts for the first time in Atlanta at the Atlanta Civic Center. (Thai Ton/The Epoch Times)

By Mary Silver/Epoch Times Atlanta Staff
Feb 21, 2007

Pedro and Claudia Drove from Florida

"Excellent. I loved it. Very beautiful" said Pedro Cardenax, of Venezuela. He and his wife Claudia heard about the show from brochures. Pablo Nimux drove all the way from Florida to see it. Why? "Well, because it's fantastic. It's really a spectacular," he said, smiling. He had seen last years' show on DVD.

Fourth District Congressman Hank Johnson spoke at a reception before the performance. "So happy to be here on this very festive occasion," he said. "I bring you greetings from the halls of Congress in Washington DC. We asked what he thought of the Communist regime's attempts to interfere with the show by discouraging sponsors and performers and other harassment. "America is a country that people look to for the ideals that we are founded upon. Freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion, are part of the First Amendment of the Constitution. There's a reason they are first."

Atlanta hosted the Chinese New Year Spectacular for the first time this year. The show has grown remarkably since its birth in New York in 2004, expanding to 29 cities on four continents. Tonight's show was the only one in America's southeast, and people came from other states to attend: from Florida, Alabama, and the Carolinas. I'm impressed, first time so many people—full house" said Erping Zhang, formerly of Atlanta, now of New York. One group drove 193 miles from Huntsville, Alabama.

Congressman Hank Johnson spoke at reception

Congressman Hank Johnson of Atlanta's Fourth District spoke at a reception for the Spectacular. (Mary Silver/The Epoch Times)

The Spectacular crosses the Atlantic within days for February shows in Paris and Berlin, then a March performance in Osaka, Japan. The show heads south to Australia and concludes in spring, in April in Taiwan. It had a feeling of dawn and of spring. Soprano Bai Xue, in an emerald, pale green and sparkling gold gown, sang about peace of mind and hopefulness against a background of ocean which grew lighter and more glowing as her song progressed.

New Tang Dynasty Televisions' website speaks of spring, quoting legendary Song Dynasty poet Shao Yong:

Dots of plum blossoms herald the arrival of spring in Heaven and on Earth
If you want to know what will happen, ask Bo and Fu for the causes
Peaceful days will naturally come to this world
Making his home wherever he is, who is the host and who is the guest