莫斯科法轮功学员参加庆祝活动受欢迎

法轮功学员参加莫斯科特警培训中心庆祝活动，获颁奖状

法轮功学员参加莫斯科特警培训中心庆祝活动，获颁奖状

法轮功学员表演舞蹈“升起的白莲”

法轮功学员表演的舞龙舞狮受到莫斯科民众欢迎

法轮功学员表演的舞龙舞狮受到莫斯科民众欢迎

文／俄罗斯法轮功学员

【明慧网二零一一年十二月三十日】二零一一年十二月二十三日、二十四日，法轮功学员应邀参加了莫斯科特警培训中心的庆祝活动。

在室外，法轮功学员为参加庆祝的家长及儿童展示了来自中国的舞龙与舞狮，观众显然对此惊叹不已，争相与舞龙舞狮的学员合影。室内舞台上，法轮功女学员身穿淡粉色仙女裙，手持白莲花，在优美的音乐中所表演的舞蹈“升起的白莲”，慈悲祥和的能量深深打动了全场观众。人们静静地欣赏舞台上学员的表演，结束后全场观众鼓掌喝彩。

法轮功学员向观众散发了印有介绍法轮大法和揭露中共迫害法轮功的真相册。同时为了使孩子们更好地了解法轮大法的圣洁与美好，学员还在室内摆设了学做莲花的真相桌，参加庆祝活动的孩子们争相学做莲花，并聆听真相。自己亲手叠做的带有介绍法轮大法小卡片的莲花，成了他们节日带回家的最好礼物。

活动最后，活动主办方为法轮功学员颁发了节日奖状，感谢学员为他们带来这么精彩的表演与演出所传递的“真善忍”道德价值观。

二十六日，法轮功学员还在莫斯科西南区的儿童乐园参加了节日庆祝活动，演出同样受到了莫斯科市民的褒奖与称赞。

From -
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/12/30/莫斯科法轮功学员参加庆祝活动受欢迎（图）-251216.html

Suki Sushi Restaurant, Hougang Plaza, Singapore

(http://youtu.be/JOFRXXWp5oY)

Suki Sushi Restaurant

Address: 1189 Upper Serangoon Road, #03-04 Hougang Plaza, Singapore

Tel: +65 6286 9680
---------------------------------------
PLEASE WATCH - Singapore - A Letter to Precious Singaporeans...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScXGRuRoHV8  


Singapore Government, Pls stop selling your Conscience to CCP (W/ English Sub) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x04zeZn6HWI

在新加坡文华大酒店的喜宴 Wedding Banquet at Mandarin Orchard Singapore (16/12/2011)

(http://youtu.be/D-EOR2weK9M)

Mandarin Orchard Singapore

Address:
333 Orchard Road
Singapore 238867

Phone number:
+65 6831 6029 / 82

Fax number:
+65 6737 3130

Email:
events.orchard@meritushotels.com

Website:
http://www.meritushotels.com/
---------------------------------------

PLEASE WATCH - Singapore - A Letter to Precious Singaporeans...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScXGRuRoHV8


Singapore Government, Pls stop selling your Conscience to CCP (W/ English Sub) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x04zeZn6HWI

陆禁港剧《天与地》 评论指掩盖真相 Hong Kong Drama Banned in China: First in 20 Years (W/ English Subtitles)

(VIDEO IN CHINESE, WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES)


(http://youtu.be/AU4zvccgDYc)


【新唐人2011年12月29日讯】香港无线电视(TVB)制作的30集连续剧《天与地》，日前遭到中共广电总局禁播，被认定是藉六四灵感创作的〝政治隐喻剧〞，并在第10集出现法轮功〝彻底解体中共〞横幅的镜头，引起中港舆论反响与网民议论。外界评论，这部剧以人吃人的剧情，剖析了历次中共政治运动中人性的阴暗面目。

港剧《天与地》被国内土豆网、优酷网、搜狐视频等众多视频网站引进播出，但12月27号播到第25集时，突然收到广电总局通知，指称这部剧属违规节目，要立即撤下停播并删除，连百度贴吧的相关讨论区也遭到屏蔽。

《天与地》两年前投拍，林保怡、陈豪、佘（Shé ）诗曼、邵美琪及黄德斌领衔主演。剧情讲述4名乐队少年登山遇风雪被困，其中3人为求生存，将患病的一人杀死分吃自保，之后他们摆脱不了吃人所带来的影响，分别成为赎罪者、遗忘者和麻木者。

有评论认为，这部剧反映的社会现象发人深省，既隐喻六四屠城，中共用坦克辗碎了中国人的民主之梦，却有一些人踩着同胞的尸体爬上位置，等同吃人恶魔；也隐喻中共血腥镇压法轮功等历次政治运动中，国人相互坑害、无情打击、麻木不仁的种种丑陋表现。

《天与地》编审周旭明对《苹果日报》表示，这部剧受六四启发，但他强调〝这是个香港人的故事〞，〝广场上的故事对我们远了一点〞；而且为避嫌创作，还将时间改动。

香港支联会副主席蔡耀昌表示，《天与地》遭禁播，反映大陆当局已达〝神经衰弱〞状态。

蔡耀昌：〝我相信，这套剧集本身不是讲六四，也不是直接去抨击中国政府、中国当权者。现在的情况似乎是中国公安、有关人员对号入座，有一点都是针对或影射它们，或者关于六四用间接的方式去表达，从而去打压这个信息，甚至基本是一个娱乐的电视剧。可以看到它们现在是非常恐惧的状态，但这样只会适得其反。〞

对于这部剧在大陆被禁播，主角之一的林保怡说：〝好可惜，有好多文化水平高的观众好留意这套剧。〞

另一位演员黄德斌也说：〝剧情只是讲人性、官商勾结。如果真是因为这个禁播，好可惜。〞

蔡耀昌：〝他们是整体的觉得这个剧集对中国政府有禁忌，我相信，当中可能包括了六四、法轮功等敏感的情况，但这也印证了这么间接的东西，他们都还害怕的话，说明今时今日，中国还有什么言论自由可言呢。〞

在《天与地》第10集中，林保怡饰演的〝鼓佬〞在铜锣湾闹市街头拉票，这里一直是法轮功学员平日讲真相、促退党的地点，镜头中赫然出现〝彻底解体中共〞的横幅。有网民指出，这可能也是禁播原因。

还有分析认为，《天与地》人吃人的剧情，也影射了中共活体摘取法轮功学员器官。香港民主党社区主任周伟东表示， 真相是无法掩盖的。

周伟东：〝这件事，其实也突出了一件事，就是中共最怕的就是真相。中共是如何上台的，真相它不让老百姓知道；它没有抗日不让老百姓知道；它在六四屠杀了很多人也不告诉老百姓；它现在还在很残酷的镇压法轮功，它也不告诉老百姓知道。这些真相它很害怕老百姓知道，因为当老百姓真正知道，它全部的基础就动摇了，就会崩溃。〞

《天与地》成为近20年来第一部被广电总局列入禁播名单的华语电视剧。香港《明报》指出，近期广东乌坎、海门等地爆发维权示威，当局担心剧中有关官商勾结、示威讨薪等情节，会助长民众仇官情绪，也是封杀原因之一。

新唐人记者林秀宜、李元翰、黎安安采访报导。

Hong Kong TV Series Banned in China: First in 20 Years.

When Heaven Burns, a 30-episode TV series by Hong
Kong's TVB has been banned by the Chinese Communist
Party (CCP)'s State Administration of Radio, Film, and
Television (SARFT).

The TV series was judged to be a "political metaphor drama",
inspired by the June 4th Tian'anmen Massacre.

In Episode 10, a banner pops up saying "Completely
Disintegrate the CCP".

The official banning sparked public repercussions in China
and Hong Kong.

Outside commentators say that the plot about cannibalism
dissects human natures dark side in CCP political campaigns.

The Hong Kong TV series, When Heaven Burns, has
broadcasted on many video sites in China.
On December 27, when Episode 25 was aired, these sites
received SARFT's banning order.

It alleges that the TV drama is against official regulations,
ordering them to stop airing immediately and to delete it.
Even a related discussion on the Baidu forum suffered
this censorship.

When Heaven Burns was filmed two years ago, starring
Bowie Lam, Moses Chan, Charmaine Sheh, Maggie Shiu
and Kenny Wong. It tells the story of four climber friends
stranded on a snowbound mountain.

Out of desperation, the dying one is killed and eaten by the
other three.

They are haunted after the event, one wishing to make
amends, one with selective amnesia, and one apathetic.

Commentators highlight that the TV drama reflects
thought-provoking social phenomena.
It is a metaphor for June 4th Tian'anmen massacre.

CCP tanks rolled in crushing the Chinese people's
democratic dream. Some stood on their fellow countrymen's bodies for
political gain, like a man-eating demon.

The TV drama has another metaphor for the CCP's bloody
persecution of Falun Gong and other political campaigns.
The Chinese people hurt and attack each other, showing
indifference and other ugly manifestations.

Senior editor of the TV series, Zhou Xuming, expressed to
Apple Daily that it was inspired by June 4th massacre.
Zhou stressed it was " a story of Hong Kong people", and
"the story of the Tian'anmen Square has faded for us".
In order to avoid arousing suspicion, the time in the story
was changed.

Vice chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of
of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, Tsoi Yiu-cheong,
said that the TV drama was officially banned in China,
showing the CCP regime has suffered from weak nerves.

Tsoi Yiu-cheong: "I believe this TV series in itself is not
talking about the June 4th incident.
Nor is it directly slamming China's authorities or the rulers.

It seems like China's public security, and concerned parties
take it personally.

They think any information in the show is insinuating or is an
indirect way to express the June 4th incident.

That's why they banned the drama, which in fact is mainly
an entertainment TV series.

You may see they are caught up in a state of much fear, but
their wish and desires may have the opposite effect. "

Hearing that the show was banned in mainland China,
One of the casts, Bowie Lam says, "That's too bad.
Lots of high-level society is watching the drama."

Another actor Kenny Wong says, "The story is about
human nature, collusion between officials and businessmen.
If it is banned just due to this reason, it's really a pity. "

Tsoi Yiu-cheong: "All these form an integral story,
which I think is a taboo for China's authorities.
I believe that the plot might involve some sensitive
information about June 4th Incident and Falun Gong.
But if they even fear such indirect things, then in today's
China, how come they can say there's freedom of speech? "

In Episode 10, there is a street scene at Hong Kong's
Causeway Bay. This is a site where Falun Gong practitioners clarify the truth
and help Chinese to quit the CCP.

In one shot, a banner is seen saying "Completely Disintegrate
the CCP". Netizens point out this may be the reason for ban.

Analysts say that the cannibalism in the plot alludes to the
CCP's live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners.
District Director of the Hong Kong Democratic Party,
Chow Wai-tung, comments that the truth cannot be hidden.

Chow Wai-tung: "The banning in fact highlights one thing.
That is, the CCP is most afraid of the truth.
How did the CCP come into power?
It never let the people know the truth.
Not the truth of its non-anti-Japanese, June 4th massacre
and brutal suppression on Falun Gong.
It really fears the population knows these truths, otherwise,
all its ruling foundation will be shaken to collapse. "

When Heaven Burns has become the first officially banned
Chinese TV series in the late 20 years.
Hong Kong's Ming Pao points out recent mass protests in
Wukan, Haimen and other places in Guangdong.
Another reason for the ban is that the CCP regime is
worried that the drama's plot containing official-business
collusions and protests against non-payment of salaries will
help fuel hatred towards officials.

NTD reporters Lin Xiuyi, Li Yuanhan and Li Anan.

From - http://www.ntdtv.com/xtr/b5/2011/12/29/a638705.html#video  
——————————————————————————————————
大家都来看”九评共产党” ( VCD, 书)!
Let’s find “Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party”(VCD, books)!
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/4/12/13/n746020.htm  


快上大纪元声明退出共产党和共产党其它组织(/团/队)，抹去邪恶的印记!
Quit the Chinese Communist Party or its affiliated organizations today!
http://tuidang.epochtimes.com/

劝善智退手枪贼 港法轮功学员获赞赏

(http://youtu.be/wrpy-oLtDwY)

【新唐人2011年12月28日讯】如果面对手持手枪和炸弹抢劫的强盗，你会如何自处？香港一名销售店员，成功以讲道理劝善方式令一名持抢悍匪夺门逃去，成为媒体报导的对像。究竟他的勇气来自何方？本台专访这位勇敢的店员，听听他的故事。

这则《无惧手枪炸弹 店员佛偈退贼》的报导，26日刊登在香港最大的报纸《苹果日报》上，讲述了一名41岁的7-11店员，独自面对贼人持枪及炸弹打劫，非但没有损失财物，反而以道理打动强盗，令他自动放弃行恶。

这位被媒体广泛报导的退贼英雄，真名叫作邝森洽，就工作在我身后的湾仔皇后大道东118号的7-11店铺内。

谈起24日凌晨4点发生的意图抢劫个案，邝森洽非常平静。他忆述当时一名操大陆口音戴口罩的黑衣男子见店内没人，就冲了进来。

香港店员邝森洽：“马上拿出一把枪来，放在台面，一个小盒子放到我的前面，而且一个手拿着遥控器，说这个是炸弹来的，他只要一按就会爆炸了，叫我赶快把柜桶里的钱全部拿出来。”

邝森洽没有拿钱出来，反而在短短4分钟内劝退了手枪贼。

香港店员邝森洽：“我说，我们收银机里面的钱其实很少，而且有那个闭路电视在拍摄，我说你很难走的了，我说你想清楚吧，不要做这种傻事了，赶快走吧，这样劝他。”

他的勇气令警察也赞叹不已。邝森洽表示，他是一名法轮功学员，相信善恶有报的道理。过去也多次以劝善方式令很多小偷放弃行恶。

香港店员邝森洽：“我们师父教我们是按照真、善、忍做一个好人，也希望更多人成为一个好人，所以不想这个贼犯下这个罪。”

他的新年愿望是希望更多人能够挺身而出，止恶扬善。

新唐人记者梁珍在香港报导。

From - http://www.ntdtv.com/xtr/b5/2011/12/28/a638152.html#video

When a Man loves a Woman

By Deborah Choo
Singapore Scene

Doris and Raymond Fernando celebrate their 37-year marriage anniversary. (Photo courtesy of Deborah Choo)

After their first three dates, his girlfriend told him an astonishing piece of news that changed his life forever.

It was a "dark secret", 61-year old Raymond Anthony Fernando remembered of what his then-girlfriend Doris Lau Siew Lang told him almost three decades back.

I am schizophrenic, she had told him.

If that was not surprising enough, she also told him that she was a patient at the Institute of Mental Health, otherwise known as Woodbridge Hospital in the 60s.

Yet, the secret she guarded so carefully — one that scared away all her previous boyfriends upon hearing — finally stood the test of one man's faith and love for her.

Raymond, a Singaporean whose heritage is part Eurasian and part Sri Lankan, listened as Doris poured her heart out about her past and her condition.

Schizophrenia is a group of psychotic disorders characterised by disturbances in thought, perception, affectation, behaviour and communication lasting longer than six months.

At the onset, because there was little public awareness on schizophrenia, Doris' symptoms of headaches, insomnia, a loss of appetite and even being delusional sometimes worried her family.

They believed she was charmed, and brought her to a medium instead. The delay worsened her condition. It had escalated to a point when she harboured suicidal thoughts. Back then in the 60s, a relative who worked in the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) heard of her unexplainable illness and recommended Doris be warded. Her condition finally stabilised.

Instead of breaking up with her after hearing what she said, the freelance television actor and motivational speaker asked her, "Will you marry me?"

"I was deeply moved by her sincerity and her caring nature. I had dated many girls, but Doris was very down to earth… Doris is a very timid person and I decided I wanted to give her a better life, so I asked for her hand in marriage," Raymond told this writer.

The couple tied the knot in 1974.

This year, the couple celebrate their 37-year anniversary.

Doris is still battling with schizophrenia and as of five years ago, arthritis as well. As for Raymond, he too has diabetes, high cholesterol and cataract.

Challenges of caring

Medical costs aside, Raymond revealed that the road is tough to say the least. He used to struggle between juggling work and caring for his wife.

In 1995, under tremendous amount of stress, he attempted suicide.

In retrospect, he said, "I deeply regret taking that route — imagine what would happen to Doris if I had not survived."

"It's still very tough," Raymond admitted. "But I have to stay and remain strong for Doris. She needs me badly."

The couple had unfortunately lost their only two children — one through a miscarriage and the other through an abortion. In the latter case, the couple made that decision as Doris would have to get off the drugs that would affect the foetus.

The devout Catholic relies on his faith to get by. He left his 31-year job as a public relations officer in October and is now working from home as a writer to earn income to pay their bills.

Caring for his wife turned him into an advocate for the mentally ill.

"It's been extremely tough for her as Doris' sole caregiver, especially when the support structure for caregivers of the mentally ill is clearly lacking — something which I have been fighting for, for decades."

But Raymond never regretted taking her as his wife.

"No, I will not ever walk away from taking care of Doris because of one simple reason — I love her deeply," he said

Raymond handles all the household chores and finances while maintaining his writing jobs and caring for his wife. The last job entails taking her to numerous medical appointments at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, IMH and polyclinics monthly, and ensuring she religiously takes her medication — 52 tablets a daily. He visits the same hospital for his eye treatment.

Although her schizophrenia is now stabilised, Raymond reveals that it may relapse anytime. "The symptoms of her arthritis condition caused her to be in tremendous physical pain in all her joints that left her mobility severely impaired. In severe pain, it can trigger a relapse of her mental illness," he said.

Doris had suffered a relapse before so he and the doctors are carefully monitoring her condition.

Symptoms

Raymond reveals how the symptoms first develop. He usually first notices physical tell-tale signs such as the white of her eyes turning slightly blue, and much dandruff appearing on her scalp.

At the beginning, Doris would become uncannily quiet and fearful. "The slightest noise will affect her," Raymond said. Over time, she tends to become increasingly anxious and begins hallucinating. While she is not violent, her husband said, Doris cries when she hears buzzing in her ears and voices telling her to do "strange" things.

"There were occasions when I had to sleep with the house keys under my pillow as she would wake up in the middle of the night and attempt to go downstairs to the void deck. She believed that her mother was waiting for her downstairs. But her mother had already passed away," Raymond said sadly.

Traumatic experiences such as the loss of their children and the loss of her mother haunt her as well.

The breaking point is when Doris begins talking about suicide. That is when Raymond is left with no choice but to admit her into hospital.

"On most occasions, she would have to undergo ECT ( electro convulsive therapy). This is where mild current is applied to the brain every four seconds to stabilise her. Most of the time, she requires at least six shots of ECT. It is an extremely painful period for me," he said.

She may require another knee operation should her medications fail, he adds.

Despite all these, while he acknowledges that it is an uphill task to care for her as her arthritis condition worsens, he is prepared to fight this battle for he and his beloved wife.

"If there's one thing you can say to your wife now, what would you say?" this reporter asked.

"If schizophrenia is part of your life, then it must certainly be part of my life. I don't necessarily like what the illness does to you, but it is you who I love. And that will always be the guiding, motivating force of my life, Doris."

Deborah Choo used to write for an array of websites such as Youth.SG and The Online Citizen. She now blogs in her free time.

From - http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/man-loves-woman-004953242.html
---------------------------------------

PLEASE WATCH - Singapore - A Letter to Precious Singaporeans...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScXGRuRoHV8

Singapore Government, Pls stop selling your Conscience to CCP (W/ English Sub) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x04zeZn6HWI

电影《机缘》完整版 Movie "Destined" FULL version

【新唐人2011年12月27日讯】（新唐人综合报导）电影《机缘》于4月24日在新唐人电视台首播，许多观众在看了这部电影后给与高度好评。有观众留言说，该片剧情跌宕起伏，引人入胜，尤其结尾更是精彩，是一部难得的佳作。在观众的期待声中，电影《机缘》终于在日前公布了其完整的网路版本。

(http://youtu.be/_KUEQ2JhoEQ)



观众：感动又紧张

〝一看停不了，太好看了!!!!〞有观众在看完影片后如此评论道。

电影《机缘》1分钟版本的片花（中英文字幕）由该片主演李广制作并提供。

名为Li Ling 的观众留言说：〝已经看过《机缘》几天了，脑子里还是挥之不去剧中的情节及人物，人物如此纯净，剧情如此浪漫感人，感到能量场很强， 作为一个第一次演戏的人，男主角的演技非常了的，一个‘真’，真情实感，感动人心，他的出场一下就抓住了我的心，希望能多看到关于本剧的报道，特别是演员，男主角一定是个多才多艺的人，片花也是他制作的！〞

另一位观众说：〝非常高兴最近十多年以来看了这么一部干干净净，情节那么吸引人，感动到流泪的影片！真干净，也只有这些人能够拍出这么纯美的电影。谢谢这些演员和制作人员！！！〞

也有搞美编的观众看完后留言表示：〝完美！演员每个都可爱！我紧张得不敢看结果！〞

此前，由于版权原因，中国大陆以外用户的IP将无法从动态网上下载整部《机缘》电影。 最后六分钟的大结局受版权保护，需要到开母音像的网站上付费下载。但仍有不少观众付费下载最后结局。

有观众反馈说：〝虽然我已经很久没看过电影了，但我昨晚付费看完了整部电影，可以说是让我最为感动的一个爱情故事，两人相认的场面催人泪下，大结局很美妙，又令人意外，感叹编剧神奇的构思。〞

除了对演员的称赞外，一些观众对故事的编排也表示赞赏，一位女士说：〝 真的很好看。好的编剧是影片的灵魂：每一个伏笔都有呼应，每个场景都是点到为止，让人意犹未尽。〞

还有观众说该片剧情跌宕起伏，引人入胜，尤其结尾更是精彩，是一部难得的佳作。也有不少观众表示期待缘聚影视艺术中心能有更精彩的大作问世。

From - http://www.ntdtv.com/xtr/b5/2011/12/27/a637806.html#video

Falun Dafa artists are leaving their mark in the art world

‘New Renaissance’ Art

By Gary Feuerberg
Epoch Times Staff

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/falun-dafa-art-exhibition-traditional-realism-in-a-new-way-162781.html

Exhibition at the Alex Gallery in Washington, D.C. Leonhardt said the images the paintings evoke “are just very beautiful and very striking.” (Wu Wei/ New Tang Dynasty Television)

WASHINGTON—The Art of Zhen, Shan, Ren International Exhibition, consisting of 36 works by six award-winning artists, has a historical mission, says its founder, painter and sculptor Zhang Kunlun.

Professor Kunlun Zhang, from Ottawa, Canada, has exhibited widely in China and abroad and was former Director of the Institute of Sculpture at the Institute of Art in Shandong. He says the painters in the Zhen-Shan-Ren International Exhibition play a role “in raising human morality and in awakening people’s conscience.”

Zhang says that audiences express “great shock as well as high acclaim” upon viewing the exhibit. “We are very grateful to the audiences for their affirmation and encouragement of our work.”

The Zhen-Shan-Ren (Truth, Compassion, Tolerance) International Exhibition is currently on display for the month of December at the Alex Gallery in Washington, D.C. This exhibit by Falun Gong artists has toured more than 50 countries worldwide and has been on display more than 500 times, since its debut in 2004.

Painting with Heart

What is especially notable in this exhibit is that the artists are meditators. They will tell you that the progress they make in their spiritual pursuits affects their creativity.

Consider an oil painting by Xiaoping Chen from Vancouver, Canada “In Harmony.” It depicts the artist practicing the sitting meditation exercise—the 5th Falun Gong exercise. It shows Chen by the sea in a meditative state while four cultivated infants (celestial beings) play amidst a powerful energy field above her head, extending to the heavens.

“I think for a painting to really have power to reach people, I have to be touched and compelled to paint it with all my heart,” said Chen about the exhibition in a video on YouTube.

Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) is a spiritual self-cultivation practice of mind and body. Falun Dafa teaches that Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance (Chinese: Zhen, Shan, Ren) are the most fundamental qualities of the universe, and takes them to be a guide for daily life and practice. The name of the exhibit is derived from the core teaching of Falun Dafa.

Zhang says the art works in the exhibition are representative of the artists’ stage of “cultivation.” Zhang says the “entire creative process is a veritable cultivation practice.”

Zhang explains that purity of the heart and purity of the art work has a symbiotic relationship, so that as one elevates, so does the other.

“However calm the mind, however detailed and delicate the work will be,” he says.

Beauty and purity is certainly evident in the masterful sculpture of Zhang’s. The exhibit shows his sculpture, “Buddha,” in a photograph.

Growing up in atheistic communist China, his life course changed when he began to practice Falun Dafa and became aware of the “mysteries of nature and life,” according notes provided concerning the artists. The image Zhang created, indeed, appears to be one of a Buddha, a divine Being whom Zhang reveres.

Zhang says that the person has to emerge before the artist. Kathleen Gillis, an artist from Ottawa, Canada, expressed the same idea as follows: “We want to give people something that is pure and clean. In order to do that, we have to look inside ourselves all the time”

Realism

The oil painting “The Call of Innocence” by artist Xiaoping Chen shows a young girl with moral conviction beyond her years. It is one of several paintings by Falun Dafa artists on exhibit this month at the Alex Gallery in Washington, D.C. (Lisa Fan/ The Epoch Times)

Zhang says that all the paintings in the exhibition use “traditional realism techniques, because that technique was divinely bestowed on humans.” He approves the term “New Renaissance” that visitors to the exhibit wrote in a guest book at one of the exhibit’s venues. “We can say that “New Renaissance” is appropriate because once again we are returning to the bright artistic path that God has pointed out to us.”

The realism in the paintings is not the type that can be captured in a photograph. The paintings exude a kind of light—warm, pure, and protective—made visible through the artist’s “cultivation.”

An oil painting by Xiaoping Chen exemplifies the use of warm light. The painting, “Lotus Lantern” shows a young woman holding a lotus lantern in meditation, with the light shining intensely on her face. The serenity of the practitioner bathed in light is contrasted with scenes below of darkness and brutal persecution.

The Persecution

The practitioners of Falun Dafa have been persecuted on mainland China for more than 12 years.

An oil painting by Yuan Li from Tokyo provides an artistic rendering of the persecution. Named “A Tragedy in China,” it shows a resolute woman weeping for her dead husband, who was tortured to death at a communist brainwashing center. His tortured body lies horizontal as his wife sits up straight beside it. The dead practitioner’s feet are still shackled, and he holds in his hand a document. It was a pledge to renounce his belief in Falun Dafa which he refused to sign.

Another painting by Chen, “The Call of Innocence,” shows a young girl in a rainy Manhattan sky, confront the viewer. With penetrative eyes she looks at you with the message, “Killed for their belief,” which is printed on a placard that she holds with both her hands. During the winter of 2005, practitioners coming to New York City endured the elements to raise awareness of the torture and murder of practitioners.

There is still a little time left to see The Zhen-Shan-Ren International Art Exhibition, which ends on Dec. 30, 2011. Alex Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11:00 a.m. -- 5:00 p.m. Alex Gallery is located at 2106 R Street, Washington, D.C. 20008.

For more information, call 202-667-2599. A second Zhen-Shan-Ren exhibition is scheduled in the spring, May 8-June 8, 2012, at the Edison Place Gallery (near D.C. Chinatown).

With reporting by Theresa Hung

William Bouguereau and His Religious Works

By Kara Lysandra Ross

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/william-bouguereau-and-his-religious-works-162652.html

William Bouguereau (1825-1905), although well known for his paintings of peasant girls and mythological scenes, has also become one of the most beloved religious painters of all time. As a devout catholic, Bouguereau, as so many other religious painters, viewed his work as a form of worship both of God and of his most beloved creation, mankind. Bouguereau’s love of Christ can be clearly seen in his religious paintings for which he took no short cuts and spared no time and dedication in creating. In the weeks leading up to the holidays, it seems an appropriate time to revisit some of these most important religious works.


La Vierge Aux Anges, 1881. 83 7/8 x 59 7/8 inches. Oil on canvas. (Image courtesy of the Museum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, CA, USA)

Vierge Aux Anges, Song of Angels, 1881, hangs at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, CA, USA. It became re-appreciated from an exhibition at the Getty Museum, where the full size masterpiece was hung next to the reduction. The precision of the perfect copy, also one hundred percent by Bouguereau, and the overall power of both pieces, became one of the most popular exhibitions the Getty had ever had. The serene Mary and baby Jesus sleep, surrounded by nature, as three angels play them a lullaby. All the figures are painted with beautiful, ethereal, perfection. When Bouguereau painted a series of angels, he usually used the same figure multiple times. In the Pieta, 1876, the eight angels are only two different individuals, and in Regina Angelorum, 1900, all twenty-one angels are the same girl. Song of Angels is no different. Bouguereau strived for perfection and would often use the hands of one model, the eyes of another, hair from yet a third, etc. In his religious works and his depictions of the holy, he took extra care in finding a compelling human image that could capture the divine, and once he found what he wanted, he did not stray. I believe this was also a statement on the nature of the divine; that a holy presence may feel as powerful as the souls of many, but in truth, it is one power. The three angels in Vierge Aux Anges are also a foreshadowing of the nature of the holy trinity, and are representative of the father, the son and the holy ghost. The mother and child sleep in peace unaware of the suffering that is destined to follow.

The Flagellation, 1880. 153 1/2 x 85 5/8 inches. Oil on canvas. (Image courtesy of the Baptistery of La Rochelle Cathedral, France)


The Flagellation of Christ, 1880 is one of Bouguereau’s masterpieces, and today hangs at the Baptistery of La Rochelle Cathedral, France. Christ, tied to a column, limply hangs, his feet dragging on the ground and head hung back, he submits to his fate. Two men stand in mid swing with their whipping ropes, with a third kneeling to the lower right fastening birch branches for the next stage of the torture. Unlike the two men who are whipping or the forth man standing behind with birch branches in the ready, the kneeling man tying the branches appears to show some remorse for his actions as his hand muscles loosen slightly with the pull of the string. The viewer can feel the pain of Christ’s torment, though his eyes are vacant of expression as if his soul is in another place. The crowd surrounding this event is filled with curious spectators. To the left, a young boy shelters his eyes from the horrid sight by turning his back and pressing himself against his mother. To the right, just above Christ’s head, a baby looks down at him sympathetically while hoisted up on his father’s shoulders. Through the crowd, a bearded man looks directly at the viewer, thereby pulling the audience into the scene as if they are too part of the crowd. It is possible that this bearded man with furrowed brow is a self portrait, so both Bouguereau and the viewer are witnessing this scene. This life size capa d’opera is every bit as magnificent as any religious works done by Raphael, Caravaggio, or Velasquez. The harmonious interplay of drawing, paint handling, composition, perspective and emotional thrust are second to none in their expressive power.

The Compassion, 1897. 110 1/4 x 51 1/8 inches. Oil on canvas. (Image courtesy of the Art Renewal Center)

When one looks at The Compassion, 1897, at first glance the viewer may interpret this painting be simply a depiction of Christ on the Cross, with perhaps another saint, or victim. A depiction not too different from thousands of other paintings of the subject; but in fact, the subject of this painting is not simply the event, but the conversion to Christianity through the compassion for the sacrifice Jesus made. The man with his head on Jesus’ chest is a representation of every man and mankind as a whole. The man in the painting shows the same empathy and baring his own symbolic cross, has found his way to Jesus and his own redemption. Many Christians wear crosses around their necks to represent the same conviction, that they too have been sacrificed with Christ. In the bible, when Jesus fell on his way to Calvary, a man from the crowd, Simon of Cyrene, went to Jesus and carried the cross for him, which was the inspiration for this widely accepted symbol . The blood of Christ falls onto his hands, reiterating the blood sacrifice that was made for his benefit. On top of the cross a letter is posted which reads “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” in three languages, Greek, Latin, and Aramaic. Although in many depictions, Christ is crucified at the top of a mountain, Bouguereau chooses to depict the savior on a barren wasteland, symbolic of the man’s spiritual life before finding his way to Christ. Bouguereau chose to keep this painting, which shows the importance his religion played in his own life, and it remained in his studio until its recent donation to the Musèe D’Orsay, Paris, France.

The Pietà, 1876, provides a very unique depiction of this most famous of imagery. The weeping Mary cloaked in a robe of black is mourning the death of her son whom she holds to her chest. The dead body of Jesus limply hangs in her arms while eight weeping angels surround them. The angels are clad in the colors of the rainbow and create an arc over Mary and Jesus. In the Old Testament, after the great flood had ended, Noah and his family saw an arcing rainbow, which was a sign from God that the flood was over and the world could be born anew. In Bouguereau’s Pietà, the rainbow symbolizes that the sacrifice of Jesus was complete and that the human soul can be born anew and ascend to God after death. Mary looks out and up. It is intended to be unclear whether if from her seated position she is focused on the viewer or the heavens with her swollen red eyes, filled with sorrow and accusation. Most likely as a mother mourns the loss of her child, she is accusing both the heavens and the earth for the pain she and her son has suffered. This interpretation of Mary is different from Michelangelo’s Pietà or many other versions, where Marry is offering her child to the world. Bouguereau’s Mary clutches Christ, not offering him to a sinful world that required her son’s sacrifice. At Jesus’ feet lies the crown of thorns used to mock him during the Crucifixion; it lies on a white cloth covered in the blood of Christ, showing the torment Jesus went though in order that humanity could attain salvation. The white robe and pitcher of water represent the purity of Jesus’ soul. Both Jesus and Mary are surrounded by a halo of light indicating their holiness. This painting was inspired by the death of Bouguereau’s eldest son, George, who died directly before Bouguereau started work on this piece in 1875. Bouguereau had the grave misfortune to have lost 4 of his five children during his lifetime.

Le Saintes Femmes au Tombeau, 1890, translated to The Holy Women at the Tomb, depicts the three Marys, Mary the Mother of James, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Cleophas, at the tomb of the resurrection. The viewer, compositionally, is placed in a prostrated position and looking up first notices the expressions of bewilderment on the central Mary’s face before looking past the three women and into the tomb. The tomb is filled with light and the viewer can only catch a glimpse of the “angel of the resurrection” with his arm raised. This is a very clever arrangement. The viewer feels as though they are there with the Marys and that they have stumbled onto this event, bringing it into the present. This painting was first exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1890, and though a critic after viewing the piece at that time said that Bouguereau “always showed the same thing”, the perspective used in this painting and the overall composition is most original and was a tour de force of perspective and foreshortening; which can be clearly seen in the severe angle of the tomb entranceway. The painting now hangs in the collection of the Musée Royal des Beaux-Arts, Antwerp, Belgium.

These are only a small portion of Bouguereau’s religious paintings, of which there are approximately 65, which together make up about eight percent of his total oeuvre. The recently published Catalogue Raisonné on the artist by Damien Bartoli and Fred Ross, clearly illustrates through over 760 examples of this artist’s work, the tremendous fortitude of Bouguereau’s prowess with the brush. Winning almost every award and accolade during his life, and residing as president of many institutions, Bouguereau’s fame was equal to that of Victor Hugo, his contemporary, and as an artist, he was as well known then as Picasso is today. His death in 1905 was mourned throughout all of France, and by others around the world as well.

Kara Lysandra Ross is the director of Operations for the Art Renewal Center and an expert in 19th century European painting.

Shen Yun a Wonderful Christmas Treat, Say Director and Professor



Nathan Mean (L) and Deborah Moore (R) complimented the Shen Yun Orchestra when they attended Shen Yun Performing Arts in Ottawa, on Dec 23. (Courtesy of NTD Television)

OTTAWA—Shen Yun Performing Arts was a much-appreciated Christmas bonus for Nathan Mean, Director of Business Resources at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and his wife, Deborah Moore, a professor of English at Carleton University.
“It was a real treat for us to come out two days before Christmas because we wanted to see something quite different from what we could normally expect to see, and so we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves,” said Mr. Mean.

“I would say that this was the cherry topper to a wonderful work week … going into a wonderful holiday period. The colouring, the technical expertise, the music, it all came together as a wonderful gift,” he added.

With the mission of reviving 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture, New York-based Shen Yun tours the world with performances of classical Chinese dance as well as folk dances and ethnic dances from China’s diverse regions and peoples.

Traditional Chinese values such as compassion, courage, filial piety, and reverence for the divine are conveyed through an all-new production staged every year.

Mr. Mean applauded the dedication and athleticism of the dancers.

“The feeling is one of perfection, exactitude. For example, many of the movements, instead of being freeform, you could understand they were studied, the bodily movements, the ability to do many of the flips. You had to know that they were in extremely good physical health,” he said.

He complimented the Shen Yun Orchestra for its technical expertise in its combination of classical Western and Chinese traditional instruments.

“I found it did very, very well,” he said.

His wife, Mrs. Moore, added her own praise.

It was her first time to see Shen Yun and she noted how pleased she was with all aspects of the show, from the orchestra to the dances, from the backdrops to the themes.

“The orchestra was wonderful … I really wanted to see the orchestra because they were phenomenal,

As for the dances, “it was amazing, the costumes, the dance was spectacular, … very refreshing, very different,” she said.

“And yet at the same time very delicate, very nuanced, just extremely creative and beautiful. The performers were all spectacular, they looked lovely. The men were very strong, the women were delicate, and yet everybody was very into their performance.”

Mrs. Moore said it was remarkable to see the dancers on the stage, the costumes and storylines coordinated with the stunning digital backdrops that were animated to enhance the effect of many of the pieces.

“They were so beautifully dressed. I really enjoyed the way the backdrop played into the performance as well. It was just something new every minute, very graceful, very beautiful, and yet very powerful as well.”

The mission of Shen Yun is to revive China’s traditional culture through an all-new production of classical Chinese dance and music that tours the globe every year.

“[It’s] especially interesting to have such an ancient culture delivered to us in the West, because we have a tendency to think that Western European culture for example is ancient, and that’s our heritage. And yet you see something so much more ancient, so much more colourful. I think it’s wonderful that the West has the opportunity to see this,” Mrs. Moore said.

She also appreciated the values conveyed by Shen Yun.

“I thought they were very down to earth, common sense values,” she said. “This was very beautiful, very placid message, very peaceful message of preserving the culture and I really appreciated that.”

“It was something that was wondrous. I think it was a celebratory mood. And it came together wonderfully for the season,” Mr. Mean said. “We go home feeling very good about life and I have hope for tomorrow.”

“I would like to see it again next year,” Mrs. Moore added. “It’s beautiful, I think it’s something everybody really should have the opportunity to see.”

With reporting by NTD Television and Matthew Little

Shen Yun has three companies touring the world. The Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company will perform in Hamilton on Dec. 26-27.

For more information visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts.

From - http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/shen-yun-on-tour/shen-yun-a-wonderful-christmas-treat-say-director-and-professor-163870.html

新加坡的福建美食 Hokkien Cuisine in Singapore- 茗香菜馆 BENG HIANG RESTAURANT Singapore

地道的福建美食 Authentic Hokkien Cuisine ...

Words are hard to describe. But I could say the food there are delicious, better than those 5-star hotels' cuisines!


Must try the “Kong Ba Bao” (Steamed Bread with Braised Brisket), crispy Fried Oysters with Egg, and the green beans soup.


The food are not too oily, just the right balance!


言语很难描述。但我可以说茗香菜馆美食比那些5星级酒店的美食更好！


必须尝试“扣肉花包”（馒头，红烧牛腩），香脆蚝煎 ，和绿豆汤。


食物不过于油腻，恰到好处的平衡！

(http://youtu.be/wXJkaVAQhcc)

茗香菜馆 BENG HIANG RESTAURANT Singapore

鱼翅羹 Shark’s Fin Soup

鱼翅羹 Shark’s Fin Soup

Fried Bee Hoon 炒米粉

炆福建面 Traditional Hokkien Noodles

炸春卷 / 五香 Spring Roll / Spiced Sausage

香脆蚝煎 Fried Oysters with Egg

香脆蚝煎 Fried Oysters with Egg

包 “Bao” (Steamed Bread)

包 “Bao” (Steamed Bread)

“扣肉 “Kong Ba” (Braised Brisket)

扣肉花包 “Kong Ba Bao” - Using the Bread and put the meat in. (Steamed Bread with Braised Brisket)

Green bean soup 绿豆汤

Started in 1978, Beng Hiang Restaurant has since established itself as one of the best Hokkien restaurants in Singapore.

Our chefs uphold years of culinary tradition, using only the choicest ingredients and preparing each dish with skills honed by decades of experience.

Beng Hiang's authentic Hokkien cuisine has gained both local recognition and international acclaim.


茗香成立于1978年。至今乃是新加坡最好的福建菜馆之一。

我们的厨师保守着传统的厨艺，也坚持选用最好的材料，以丰富的经验来烹煮着每一道菜肴。

茗香正宗福建菜因此赢得了新加坡及世界各地赞赏与认同的口碑。

http://www.benghiang.com/

Address:
112-116 Amoy Street Singapore 069932


Tel: +65 6221 6695 / +65 6221 6684
---------------------------------------
PLEASE WATCH - Singapore - A Letter to Precious Singaporeans...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScXGRuRoHV8  


Singapore Government, Pls stop selling your Conscience to CCP (W/ English Sub) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x04zeZn6HWI