Date: April 13, 2024
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Venue: The Concourse, Chatswood
As the golden hues of autumn blend with the fervor of artistic passion, we cordially invite you to a grand celebration of culture and art — “The 3rd Mother of Mercy Concert 2024” in conjunction with “The 1st Australian International Taoist Cultural Festival”. This gala is themed around the “Taoist Mythological Tales from the Classic of Mountains and Seas”, exploring the convergence of wisdom and beauty within the enigmatic realms of Taoist culture and the vast mythologies of the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
Since 2022, the Australia Taoism Association has hosted two consecutive Mother of Mercy Concert, each event captivating wide acclaim and enthusiastic responses with its unique artistic charm and profound cultural essence. On those occasions, we showcased China’s national and world-class intangible cultural heritage through various forms, such as lion dances, Peking opera, and Taoist music, allowing every attendee to deeply appreciate the unique allure and profound heritage of Chinese culture.
This year, we continue to uphold the spirit of maternal love and gratitude. The event is personally orchestrated and organized by Ms. Meixi Yan, founder of the Australia Taoism Association and a fervent promoter of Chinese culture. Ms. Yan, a passionate seeker of traditional music and art, is committed to fostering a harmonious society through the wisdom of Taoist culture.
The 2024 music evening promises to be even more spectacular. We will embark on a journey to unravel the mysteries within the “Classic of Mountains and Seas” through high-level artistic performances. Numerous national-level artists will gather to present an auditory and visual feast, immersing you in the nurturing embrace of Taoist culture and allowing you to experience the harmony and balance in life.
We believe that art can convey hope and warmth. May every guest at this music evening feel the universal love of mothers, as well as the profoundness and breadth of Taoist culture.
We look forward to witnessing this grand cultural exchange with you at The Concourse, experiencing a journey about love and wisdom together. Let’s meet on April 13, 2024, to explore the limitless mysteries of Taoist culture.
(Please note that this event will adhere to the local government’s health and safety guidelines to ensure the safety of all guests. Stay tuned to our official channels for the latest updates.)
Click here to learn more about the event.
Performance Line-up and Programme Preview
Guqin Artist: Xiao Yijuan
Director of the International Guqin Association
Member of the Chinese National Orchestra Society’s Guqin Committee
Standing Director of the China Guqin Culture Society
Graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of Li Xiangting, a renowned guqin performer, educator, and inheritor of the World Intangible Cultural Heritage of the guqin, and professor at the Central Conservatory of Music.
Winner of the “Excellence Gold Award” in the professional guqin category at the 7th International Youth Arts Competition (Taiwan Finals).
Has performed in Asia, the Americas, Europe, and more. Also featured in interviews and programmes on Japan CSC, NHK Radio, Japanese TV, Phoenix TV, etc.
Programme Preview
Xiao will perform “Flowing Water” at the Maternal Love Evening Gala, a piece attributed to Bo Ya, divided into “High Mountains” and “Flowing Water” during the Tang dynasty, widely known for its use of techniques like rolling, plucking, and pressing to depict the vigorous flow of water.
Wudang Daoist Culture Development Center
Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Group
Wudang Mountain is acclaimed as
“An unparalleled scenic beauty, the premier celestial mountain in the world.”
Wudang martial arts have a long, profound history
An important school of Chinese martial arts
One of the national intangible cultural heritages
Since its establishment in 2017, the Wudang Daoist Culture Development Center, located in the Wudang Mountain Special Area, Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province, has enrolled over a thousand students from home and abroad. The center’s instructors have been invited to Canada, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, and other countries to spread Wudang kung fu.
The Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Group, affiliated with the Wudang Mountain Taoist Association, consists of Wudang sect elites and direct disciples of Wudang Neijiaquan, dedicated to inheriting Wudang culture and promoting Wudang kung fu. They incorporate Wudang’s secret Neijia techniques into stage art, creating a unique artistic medium that is both martial and elegant, appealing to all.
Programme Preview
The Wudang Daoist Culture Development Center will showcase authentic “Wudang Kung Fu” to local residents in Sydney, Australia, at the Maternal Love Evening Gala, directly from China. The performance will maintain the fundamental elements of Tai Chi while incorporating aesthetic and health elements, enhancing the spectacle and reflecting the splendid civilization and vitality of the Chinese nation.
Not just an academic illustration of Wudang Mountain’s rich history and profound culture, but a performance that visually presents it to every spectator, allowing them to relax and explore Wudang.
Dancer: Ru Yan
Ru Yan Dance Studio
Judge, choreographer, and instructor at the 2022 Miss Chinese Sydney Area and the Showcase Australia’s First Chinese Dance Competition Sydney Division
Over 1 million followers online
Ru Yan Dance Studio (Rites of Mist Dance Studio), established in 2018, specializes in dance performance, choreography, professional dancer training, and hosting government and commercial events.
The studio’s dancers are active on Sydney’s major stages, dedicated to the overseas promotion and exchange of Chinese dance. The team comprises professional dancers in Chinese and modern dance, as well as cultural guardians from diverse backgrounds.
Ru Yan, the studio’s director, has focused on promoting Chinese culture both online and offline, integrating into the Australian cultural market, spreading the charm of Chinese dance, and engaging in cultural exchange and integration with Western cultures.
Ru Yan Dance Group continues to innovate, bringing in new talent and producing new works, providing a platform for overseas Chinese enthusiasts of Chinese dance and culture to learn, practice, and spread their heritage.
Programme Preview
Teacher Ru Yan will lead her team in performing “Ode to Spring” and “Dream of Chang’an” at the Maternal Love Evening Gala. “Ode to Spring” uses the intangible cultural heritage of Wing Chun as its theme, showcasing martial arts through dance and highlighting Lingnan culture.
“Dream of Chang’an” is inspired by Tang dynasty painted wood dancing figurines. The figurines awaken from the dark, with a woman from the Central Plains dancing with fluttering ribbons in Chang’an, merging cultures along the hem of her dress, both real and fantastical. The dance moves gracefully, with ribbons swirling, leaving the audience with a dreamlike vision of Chang’an’s splendor.
Malaysia Bellamos Music Center
We Teach Music with Love
Bellamos Music Center, located in Malaysia, is a renowned music school and performance center dedicated to fostering and promoting the art of music. The center offers a variety of music courses, including piano, violin, guitar, and vocal training, and hosts concerts and performances.
Programme Preview
Two teachers from Bellamos Music Center will travel from Malaysia to Sydney to collaborate with local Australian music groups in a series of performances, including “Elephant Walk” and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. The creative blend of guitar and pipa showcases the fusion of Eastern and Western musical instruments.
Peking Opera Artist: Wu Yan
Former national-level Peking Opera performer at the Beijing Peking Opera Theatre
Founder of Sydney Jing Yun Tang
Wu Yan began studying Peking Opera performance art at the Beijing Opera School at age 9 and later graduated from the Peking Opera Performance Department of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts. She was assigned to the youth troupe of the Beijing Peking Opera Theatre as a Qingyi and Dao Ma Dan performer.
Mentored by renowned Peking Opera masters such as Li Xihong, Ba Jinling, Li Li, Sun Yumin, Wang Xiaorong, Wang Jizhu, Shen Jianjin, and Tong Xiying. She has performed alongside Mei Baojiu, son of Mei Lanfang, in “The Drunken Concubine” and was received by Premier Zhu Rongji.
In 2000, she performed “Celestial Maidens Scattering Flowers” in Moscow for Beijing’s Olympic bid. In 2003, she immigrated to Australia and has participated in Chinese celebrations and multicultural performances invited by the local government. She founded Sydney Jing Yun Tang to promote traditional Chinese culture and art through online and offline teaching of Peking Opera, nurturing talent worldwide.
Programme Preview
Teacher Wu Yan will perform two Peking Opera pieces at the Maternal Love Evening Gala. The first is the Kunqu opera “The Goddess Splits the Mountain”: centered on the goddess Lei Niang, it tells her story of descending to earth to save her father and eventually becoming sisters with Guanyin. It combines themes of familial love, Buddhist faith, and mythological tales, representing a classic in Kunqu opera.
The second piece, “Exploring the Valley” from the Yang Family Generals story, will showcase powerful vocal performance, sure to captivate the audience.
Singapore Jiayi Baxia City God Temple
Singapore Taoist Orchestra
A renowned Taoist temple in Singapore
With a history of 107 years
The group inherits the authentic Zhaisui ritual music and ceremonies, performing regularly for significant Taoist temples in Singapore, including rituals for worshiping Tai Sui, Zhongyuan Festival, thanking Tai Sui, and celebrating the birthdays of deities.
Actively participating in international events, the group has attended 13 Taoist music festivals in Hong Kong, Taipei, Beijing, and other locations from 2001 to 2017. The group also conducts blessing, soul-delivering, and deity consecration ceremonies for temples in neighboring countries, such as the Cisheng Gong in Malaysia and the Miri Dabogong Temple.
Since its establishment, the Jiayi Baxia City God Temple Music Ensemble has worked to preserve Taoist culture, promote harmony among Singapore’s races and religions, and strengthen international Taoist exchanges.
Programme Preview
Specially invited from Singapore to perform in Sydney, Australia, at the Maternal Love Evening Gala, the musicians will first play “Tai Chi Melody,” followed by chanting “The Three Treasures,” then perform high ritual steps with command flags, and conclude with a salute to the Heavenly Lords, with five high priests taking the stage to bow.
At the blessing banquet, the Singapore Taoist Orchestra’s high priests and musicians will conduct a “Worship of the Thousand Gods” blessing ceremony, praying to the Jade Emperor for divine grace, blessings, and protection for all beings to find joy and avoid suffering.
Sydney’s Renowned Singer-Songwriter Dong Ning
Executive Principal of the Aoyu Cultural Education Training Center
Known as “The Nightingale of the Barracks”
Australia’s “Shepherd of the Koktokay”
Former soloist with the Xinjiang Military Region Cultural Troupe. She is seen as a sympathetic big sister, a sunny humorist, a hospitable and righteous ‘female knight’, a talent-spotting Bole, and a cross-disciplinary planner, host, lyricist, and singer.
In 2020, she wrote the lyrics for “Let Love Return Home,” a song for the COVID-19 pandemic, in collaboration with famous Hubei composer Zhou Manli and Sydney singers, producing a music video.
Upon release, it went viral, achieving over a million views. Many famous singers and artists from China sent video congratulations.
Programme Preview
Teacher Dong Ning will grace the Maternal Love Evening Gala with her beautiful and melodious singing.
Sydney’s Famous Dance Team
Industry Performing Art
Over 30 years of exquisite dance teaching tradition
IPA Performing Arts Academy is a landmark in Sydney’s dance education scene, excelling in competitions and performing locally, interstate, and internationally.
In 2012, 2014, and 2015, the studio traveled to Disneyland in California for entertainment activities. The academy prides itself on offering a wide range of dance courses, providing students with numerous performance and examination opportunities for a comprehensive dance experience.
The teaching team consists of dance professionals working closely together, frequently guided by local and international celebrity choreographers, to offer the broadest dance styles. They are dedicated to helping students experience the joy and achievement of dance, fostering personal development in a friendly, challenging, and encouraging environment.
Programme Preview
The Maternal Love Evening Gala will feature modern jazz and contemporary dance performances by renowned local artists from the IPA Performing Arts Academy, inviting everyone to feel the rhythm of the music and enjoy the vibrant dance atmosphere.
Australian Taoist Association
Australia Taoist Orchestra
A non-profit organization of the Australian Taoist Association
Founded by Ms. Yan Meixi, the owner of the Yaochi Palace of Wealth God Temple in Australia and a New South Wales Justice of the Peace, with great dedication
The Australian Taoist Association aims to gather Australian Taoist elites, promote deep interaction and cooperation among believers, organize religious, educational, and cultural activities, enhance the overseas glory and influence of Taoist culture, and build bridges of friendship and cooperation with Taoist communities and other religious groups worldwide. It focuses on Taoist education to nurture talent and pass on the Taoist tradition.
The Australia Taoist Orchestra, established in 2015, regularly performs at major local government and commercial events in Sydney, including opening blessings, New Year blessings, worshiping Tai Sui, Zhongyuan Festival, thanking Tai Sui, and large-scale cultural evenings, earning the affection of local residents.
Through the association’s Australian Cultural Education Program, a cultural and artistic training center was established to nurture local Australian youth in music, art, language, and philosophy, strengthening the inheritance of Chinese culture.
Programme Preview
As the host, the Australian Taoist Orchestra annually performs at the Maternal Love Evening Gala, showcasing a blend of nearly ten instruments in a concert and blessing performance. This year, the Australian Taoist Orchestra will continue to provide a spectacular and awe-inspiring Taoist music performance for everyone to enjoy.
