Preface

It is said that life is like an arrow; once it is shot from the bow there is no return or a second chance. Looking back from where we are now, we can still recall our lives those twenty years ago. Having traveled far from our homeland across the South Pacific Ocean, we relied on our shared dreams, hearts, spirits and passions to support us in our pursuit for a common future.
On this day of celebration, history and past events fill our hearts with uncountable emotions and memories. Life presents us with formidable challenges, but despite these hardships, an artist’s yearning and strives for art, which will be hard and even painful at times, will never diminish. Though it was a time of struggle, and though it was then a barren desert for Chinese culture, together we held hand in hand and heart to heart in perseverance to promote our culture in this foreign land. We toiled the earth, sowed the seeds and watered the soil with our own sweat.
For twenty years, the ACPAA has been on a journey filled with constant exploration and discovery. We are proud and satisfied with our achievements; however what we feel the most is a deep sense of gratitude. We thank you for your care, concern and earnest generosity. It is through everyone’s selfless dedication and support that enabled the ACPAA to have the courage to build a solid platform for cultural exchange between Australia and China. It is due to everyone’s contribution that together, we have been able to express our traditional Chinese culture overseas.

As we journeyed through life, we found ourselves travelling far from our home into a new environment, giving up on opportunities we might have had. We missed out on the harvest season, but carried on to sow new seeds, waiting for a new spring. With every memory we are reminded of our past, and how much we have grown from our explorations and experiences. This publication is dedicated to those who have contributed and helped us on our journey thus far; thank you for sticking by us these past twenty years.

William JW. Yu (JP)
Chairman of the Australian Chinese Performing Artists’ Association