The 54-member troupe arrived in Taipei on July 5. Over the next two weeks, they staged 12 performances for Tzu Chi in Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, and Hualien.

One of our purposes for inviting the troupe to Taiwan was to inspire individuals with physical challenges to make the most of their potential and talent to serve society. Actually, the "if-they-can-do-this-then-why-can't-I?" mentality was something we hoped to activate in everyone, whether physically challenged or not. We wanted as many people as possible to benefit from the group's programs.

Most tickets for the performances had been reserved in advance by Tzu Chi on behalf of long-term recycling volunteers or foundation members who were physically challenged themselves. Extra tickets were hard to get. To help reach the widest possible audience, Tzu Chi erected several huge screens outside each performance venue. With the help of the modern technology, simultaneous transmissions provided those who could not obtain tickets an opportunity to appreciate the grace of the troupe's inspiring repertoire.

The troupe rewarded the audiences at each presentation by performing with all their strength. A Tzu Chi member told me that after one performance of the action-packed "The Yellow Loess," she could clearly see the stage floor dotted with beads of perspiration shed by the performers.

The troupe's Taiwan tour culminated with a visit to our Tzu Chi Humanitarian Center near Taipei the day before their return to China. The scale of the reception was unprecedented. T. C. Wang, vice president of our foundation, and hundreds of staff members and volunteers lined up at the front door of the building to welcome them. Because many of the performers were deaf and could not hear our applause, we gestured with our hands to show our admiration and respect.

The first performer I met during the reception was the armless Huang Yang-guang (黃陽光). "What has impressed you the most on your visit to Taiwan?" I asked. "The warm love bestowed on us by Tzu Chi members," he replied. His answer made me glad, but also a bit skeptical. I wondered if he had given his answer just to flatter me. With the help of a sign-language interpreter, I asked Tai Li-hua (邰麗華), the head of the troupe, the same question. To my surprise, her answer was the same as Yang-guang's!

As head of the Foreign Language Publications Department, I was honored to sit at the same table as 15-year-old Zhang Jia-huan (張佳歡) and her mother, Li-jun (鐘麗君) (facing page). Seizing the opportunity, I asked the same question again: "What has impressed you the most on your visit to Taiwan?"

To my delight, they gave me the same answers as the first two respondents. Jia-huan added, "I knew very little about Tzu Chi before, but now I am reluctant to say good-bye. You have really treated us like family." These sentiments, expressed by many troupe members, firmly proved how much love and care Tzu Chi had given them during their tour.

Li-jun told me that she was inspired by Master Cheng Yen's wisdom in motivating people as a team to help the needy. "I often felt so frustrated in single-handedly helping the disabled, but I now realize how silly I was after seeing how the Master carried out her missions."

As the reception drew to a close, the performers moved to the stage to present two final songs. Tears came to my eyes as I watched how mindfully and gently they helped the blind and those sitting in wheelchairs move onto the stage. Having demonstrating so much gratitude, respect and mutual help, the 54 performers seemed at that moment to be transformed into 54 real-life Guan Yin Bodhisattvas.