As far as Chinese New Year’s entertainment goes, New Tang Dynasty Television’s Chinese New Year Spectacular is a relatively new kid on the block, having made its debut only three years ago. It can’t be described as a variety show, and it’s not really a Broadway musical, but it is different to anything else out there.
Before I attended the Spectacular’s Canadian debut in Vancouver last month, I had some idea of what to expect, because my Chinese friends were raving about it, plus I had read some promotional materials put out by NTDTV. What they’re attempting to do with this traveling show is revive the true Chinese culture which was destroyed by Chairman Mao and his communist successors.
Good old Mao razed temples, burned ancient manuscripts, tortured and killed intellectuals, monks, and anyone else he didn’t like. To add insult to injury, he made everyone wear black pyjamas. During his reign, counting famines and everything else, Mao directly or indirectly managed to slaughter more people than the two world wars put together.
Nowadays, the communist party of China uses the Chinese New Year, the biggest celebration of the year for the Chinese, as a way to glorify itself and promote the communist philosophy of fight and class struggle. But Chinese Central TV’s four-hour Spring Festival Gala of acrobatics, conjuring acts and comedy skits pales in comparison the Spectacular’s elegant portrayal of the best of China’s ancient culture.
In other words, it is traditional Chinese culture without the communist rhetoric, which must be a refreshing change for the Chinese