Three Chinese Media Announce Plans for Chinese New Year Global Gala in Chicago
CHICAGO‚ NOV 16--The city of Chicago will be the site of New Tang Dynasty Television’s annual Chinese New Year Global Gala for the first time in 2006, according to three U.S.-based Chinese media organizations. The Mid West branch of The Epoch Times newspaper, NTDTV’s Chicago affiliate, New Century Media, Inc. (NCMTV), and Sound of Hope Radio made the announcement at a joint press conference held during the Fifth Anniversary Celebration for The Epoch Times and the Third Anniversary for NCMTV. The Gala will feature an evening of performances highlighting traditional Chinese culture.
NTDTV’s Chinese New Year Global Gala will be presented in 16 major cities around the world, including New York, Paris, Seoul, Sydney, Taipei, Vancouver and Washington, DC from January 7, 2006 through February 25, 2006. Many of the performers will tour with the production, enabling audiences to see performances that were previously seen only in New York. The 2006 Global Gala will be the third year that the New York-based NTDTV has held the Global Gala, which organizers say will be better than ever.
According to Gala Producer Zhou Yu, “There were two main reasons behind the success of our past Galas. The first is our mission to promote traditional Chinese culture and to foster cross-cultural understanding among people of different backgrounds, while providing our audiences the best in performing arts. The second is that we received widespread public support, indicating acceptance of our values of promoting human rights, democracy and freedom, as well as our mission.
“During last year’s Gala, we received nearly 300 greetings from international and local leaders, including many presidents, prime ministers, members of Congress and leaders from many other fields. We also received many corporate sponsorships. NTDTV hopes through our next Gala to express our sincere gratitude to all supporters."
When describing content for the Gala, Global Gala Art Director Vina Lee summarized the theme as “fallen leaves return to the root – representing the essence of Chinese traditional culture.”
“Almost all the nations of the world have creation legends,” Ms. Lee said. “In the 5,000 years of Chinese history, the legends of gods have never disappeared. Believing in gods and valuing the five cardinal virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness are the essence of traditional Chinese culture. The 2006 Global Gala will represent the profound inner meanings of Chinese culture, sharing with audiences the wonders of Chinese tradition, celebrating the Chinese New Year in the joy of the performing arts.”
Chicago Gala organizer Xu Zhiwei disclosed details about the Chicago Gala, including the theater, ticket distribution channels, and the sponsorship questions raised by commercial enterprises.
Sound of Hope Radio Network’s Chicago Branch Director Wang Yu told reporters: “The success of Sound of Hope depends on its independent and ethical news reporting principles. SOH reported many news stories on a timely basis to the Chinese people, including SARS, Avian flu, and the persecution against Falun Gong. SOH is very happy to jointly host the Chinese New Year Global Gala with NTDTV and The Epoch Times. Our hope is to bring more beautiful wishes and dreams to all.”