OTTAWA—The Chinese New Year Spectacular presented its final performance in Ottawa on Monday night. Presented by New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV), the show features Chinese classical dance and music emphasizing the positive values of freedom, peace, and beauty.

David Kilgour, former Secretary of State for Asia Pacific, attended the Monday show after arriving from Europe.

"I want to congratulate everybody associated with this show. I wish everybody in Canada could see it. I wish everybody could see it everywhere, especially of course in China."

"Last year, when I saw it in Toronto, I did not think it could get any better. This year, probably everything is a little better," said Kilgour. "The dancing is absolutely fabulous, the last piece was spectacular."

Kilgour elaborated on some of the issues currently facing China and pointed to how the show transports the audience to a China before communist rule.

"I've been reading a lot of books on China in the last year or so, and I think this is the authentic China, the authentic culture."

"What is being used now [in China], as somebody says, is imported from Europe. Last time I looked, Karl Marx was not Chinese," said Kilgour, alluding to the link between the father of communism and the regime that now rules China. "The imported violent philosophy that is still, unfortunately, being used by the [regime in] China is quite foreign to the culture, people, and history of China. This shows what a marvelous culture and tradition the authentic Chinese culture is."

Kilgour also described how the show makes people feel.

"Uplifted, inspired, dazzled," he said. "It's magical what we're seeing here tonight. I've got nothing but respect for the people who've done it. They have put in so much time, I gather, to make the show what it is."

"It's topically spiritual. It's not giving any other message, that's what's wonderful," said Frank Scheme, a freelance photographer who also works part-time with Amnesty International, and who attended the show with Kilgour.

Due to his previous role as Secretary of State for Asia Pacific, Kilgour has traveled extensively throughout Asia and is in a strong position to comment on the unique nature of the show.

"It's absolutely unique, one of the best I've ever seen anywhere in the world, and I've been in more than 100 countries," Kilgour added. "The combination of everything, costumes, music, the live orchestra … The moderators are good, they're funny.

"The dancing is really out of this world, almost everything is out of this world. I would recommend this show to anybody, I have recommended it to many people and I'm glad to see some of them here tonight."

The Chinese New Year Spectacular now leaves Ottawa to play four shows in Montreal before going on to Toronto next weekend.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Divine Performing Arts shows that will perform in over 60 cities worldwide in 2008. To find a show near you, please visit www.bestchineseshows.com.