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A phenomenon of classic re-creation, a grand stage where East and West cultures seamlessly merge, a music festival praising the greatness of motherly love, and a visual and auditory feast in a venue for a thousand attendees.

A total of 11,500 online viewers from across Australia witnessed a spectacular performance by numerous actors of all ages in the 2023 ACY Motherly Love Gala. The event concluded with thunderous applause and showers of flowers last night.

This marks the second year of the Motherly Love Gala, and with the belief of 'breaking through oneself and creating classics again,' the entire team of the Australia Cultural Education Association and the Australia Art School worked diligently for over six months to present an unparalleled grand event to the Australian audience.

The Motherly Love Music Gala has rewritten records of traditional Chinese heritage performances in Australia, showcasing many instruments and ensembles rarely seen outside of China, becoming a source of pride for the Chinese community in Australia.

A month before the official start of the gala, it received strong support from the Australian community government and garnered attention from countless Chinese and local individuals. Social media platforms, from Xiaohongshu to major local media outlets and live streaming platforms, extensively covered the event.

Teachers from our Dao Music Ensemble, despite the heat and challenges, conducted offline promotions and demonstrations, sparking interest among local Australians and contributing to the promotion of our millennia-old Chinese culture overseas.

The significance of the Motherly Love Gala lies in gratitude towards mothers, who selflessly dedicate themselves without expecting anything in return. Under this noble intention, the initiator of the event, Master Yan Dao, and the team spared no effort, year after year, to embody this gratitude.

This year's event, building on the experience of the previous year, featured diversified and innovative designs. For instance, the opening segment included a red carpet in front of the original photo booth, a signing session, the God of Wealth lion dance troupe, auspicious rabbit dolls, photo sessions with actors, creating a joyous atmosphere for everyone.

The gala attracted attention not only from the Sino-Australian community but also from the political arena. Minister MP Tim of Willoughby, Mayor Tanya, the first Chinese-Australian female MP, Shen Huixia, all attended and enthusiastically interacted with the audience.

On the day of the event, all attendees queued up early, and at the entrance, they received carefully prepared gifts and red envelopes from major sponsors.

Unlike the previous year, which limited seats to the lower floor due to the pandemic, this year, the gala opened seats on the upper floor, allowing over a thousand people the opportunity to experience the direct impact of the spectacular performances.

Minister MP Tim of Willoughby, in his opening speech, expressed admiration for the greatness and awe-inspiring nature of Chinese traditional culture. He considered the grand artistic gathering a pride for the local community and people.

Mayor Tanya, a mother of three, acknowledged the hardships of mothers and appreciated the wonderful gala as an event to thank mothers worldwide. It was an occasion to celebrate love and transmit affection!

The gala featured four more programs this year, reaching a total of 20! The perfect integration of Eastern and Western elements not only occurred within each program but also in the overall arrangement, presenting a continuous and dazzling array of performances, keeping the audience captivated and surprised throughout.

Highlights included lion dances, Peking opera, Dao Music blessings, erhu-piano duets, Tai Chi sword, dongxiao and guqin ensemble, violin and guzheng ensemble, K-pop, C-pop street dance, and the addition of a children's model show featuring traditional Chinese clothing. People of different nationalities came together to perform a splendid song and dance art feast!

After the lively and auspicious lion dance performance 'Money Rabbit's Grand Display,' the gala officially began.

Recalling the breathtaking fusion of Chinese and Western musical instruments at the opening, featuring violinist Xiong Tianwen (known for collaborations with world-class conductors), guzheng artist Zhou Yunan, and ruan artist Fan Ziyan, performing classic pieces like 'A Step Away' and 'Bach.'

The combination of Western violin and traditional Chinese guzheng, accompanied by the ruan, was an innovative first. This year, a large ruan was introduced, with its tone resembling the cello in Western instruments, harmonizing the overall performance.

The Sydney Jingyun Hall teachers, adorned in elegant Chinese costumes with imperial court headpieces, presented a fashion show accompanied by English-sung famous songs like 'Legend,' showcasing the charm of the integration of Chinese and Western cultures from another perspective.

In addition to traditional instruments and Dao Music, the gala included performances by the Starlight Women's Choir, who presented two songs, 'If Tomorrow Is the Next Life' adapted from the famous piece 'Amazing Grace,' and 'Lighthouse.' The beautiful music instantly lifted the audience's spirits.

Young composer Jiang Zhongyu also brought her original jazz solo 'Monkey and Tree Love Story,' featuring sensual and tender vocals, which received enthusiastic applause from the audience.

The gala once again invited a Peking opera performer, Wu Yan, a graduate of the Beijing Peking Opera School and the founder of the Sydney Jingyun Hall, to present a challenging piece, 'Goddess Scattering Flowers.' The difficulty lies in singing while waving a long silk scarf, resembling a fairy dancing to pray for the world. Wu's graceful posture and tender gaze conveyed the charm of traditional Peking opera to the audience.

Of course, no gala is complete without comedic elements. Renowned cross-cultural comedian Zhu Yanlong, who has thrice represented overseas Chinese on the CCTV stage, and young comic Zhang Xunrui brought a 'song performance' that left the audience in fits of laughter, creating a lively and joyous atmosphere!

One of the most popular programs from last year, the classic traditional erhu piece 'War Horses Galloping,' returned and was performed with accompaniment by drums and piano.

Accompanied by the rhythmic drums, the erhu, instead of its usual gentle and delicate style, became energetic and intense, full of power and emotion, resonating as a classic masterpiece on this year's stage!

The dongxiao and guqin ensemble 'Cherishing Song' brought a song that shook the soul, evoking a sense of solitude and vastness with the lonely and distant sounds of the guqin and dongxiao, combined with the melodious and dynamic voice of a female singer.

This song, originally celebrating the magnificent and fertile scenery of the northern grasslands, expresses the passion of the Xiongnu people for their homeland and life. Under the interpretation of teacher Cai, it added a touch of deep and subtle homesickness, moving the audience.

In addition to well-known classical performances, the gala also featured dynamic elements from the West, such as the Kpop dance by the Point4 dance troupe and Cpop.

Furthermore, the Industry Performing Art team, which participated in the official Australian dance championship Showcase Nationals Competition, presented professional modern dance, adding a lot of vitality to the gala.

A new and creative highlight of this year's gala was the Hanfu fashion show presented by the Y model children's model team. The children, wearing Hanfu, confidently displayed their beautiful postures on the stage, charming the audience with their cuteness.

Finally, the children collectively sang 'My Good Mother' and presented flowers to the mothers in the audience, elevating the gala to a heartfelt conclusion.

After the gala, all performers took the stage one by one for a curtain call amidst the music of 'Motherly Love.' The audience, filled with gratitude, applauded the artists and actors for their two hours of splendid performance.

Organizing such an event in Australia, blending numerous elements of Chinese tradition, and inviting national-level performers to showcase in Australia is undoubtedly a remarkable achievement.

Organizer Master Yan Dao deserves heartfelt thanks, and the success of the gala would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the front and backstage staff. Once again, our gratitude goes to them.

The Motherly Love New Year Gala transcends time, merges East and West, and, after the performance, received positive reviews and words of thanks from the audience. The impact of this event is unprecedented in Australia.

We sing the praises of maternal love, express gratitude for maternal love, a virtue of traditional Chinese culture. We hope that this virtue can be transmitted to the corners of the world through the medium of art and music, fostering love to take root and sprout in the world.