The first performance on the worldwide tour of NTDTV's New Year Spectacular was presented to an appreciative audience on January 4 in the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia. The following are comments from several government officials from Pennsylvania and Delaware who attended the show:

Mr. Harry Kao, Executive Director of Pennsylvania Governor's Advisory Commission on Asian American Affairs.

"I'm happy I had the opportunity to read the governor's proclamation for the Lunar New Year to the commonwealth's residents. In tonight's "Spectacular," personally I liked the fan dance, with its very graceful movements.

"The orchestra was wonderful, too. Very seldom do we have the opportunity to have the accompaniment of real instruments."

Ted Blunt, President of the City Council of Wilmington, Delaware.

"There were a number of performances that I especially liked. I truly enjoyed the drums, which were absolutely fantastic. The Fan Dance was really unique, as was the Mongolian Bowl Dance.

"I enjoyed the opportunity to see the customs of people from another country. It took me back to a period that I wasn't very familiar with.

"I would certainly recommend people to come to see the show. It would be beneficial, regardless of where you live, where you come from, or your customs and background."

Ms. Hanifa Shabazz, a member of the city council of Wilmington, Delaware.

"Last year's show in Wilmington was my first exposure to traditional Chinese culture. It really opened my eyes. It was such a beautiful, diverse, spiritual, educational presentation. Now I have a chance to see it again, and it has given me even more understanding of this great culture.

"It really made feel good to see the beautiful expressions, and the spiritual content of the Chinese culture.

"Last year's show was already a big wow. This year, I can see their growth and development. It's hard to say which performance was the best.

"The more we know about each other, the more we can understand each other. Also, it's good to see how many things we have in common."