1995: Cui Jian is invited to Japan again and plays at the prestigious Budokan Theater in Tokyo. In the autumn, Cui Jian and the Balls Under The Red Flag band embark on their first tour of the United States, performing at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, The Orpheum Theatre in Boston, as well as The Palladium, The Bottom Line, and The Knitting Factory in New York City. The tour receives major press coverage and favorable reviews from the likes of Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Village Voice, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, People, Rolling Stone, MTV, CBS, PBS, and CNN.
1996: Cui Jian and band participate in Denmark's Roskilde Music Festival. Plays over a dozen concerts in China including Hong Kong.
1997: Release of the underground hit single "Get Over That Day" as well as an anthology of greatest hits from the last decade. Produces debut album for Beijing art-rock ensemble, ZiYue. Performs to a sold-out crowd in Seoul.
1998: Cui Jian releases fourth album, The Power Of The Powerless. A work of digital avant-rock, this record is a marked departure from his previous efforts. Harnessing the semantic density of rap music, Cui Jian sketches China's changing social and economic landscape at the end of the 20th century. He plays 14 shows this year including a sold-out concert in Kuala Lumpur.
1999: Second tour of the USA. Performances at WOMAD Festival in Seattle, The Mayan Theater in Los Angeles, MIT's Kresge Auditorium in Boston, The Bowery Ballroom and Central Park SummerStage in New York City, as well as South Fork Ranch in Dallas and City Stage in Atlanta. In China re-releases his first album, Rock'N'Roll On The New Long March. He plays a total of 22 shows this year.
2000: Cui Jian writes music for the soundtrack of Jiang Wen's controversial movie "Devils At The Doorstep" and attends the movie's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Cui Jian also plays the role of a country music teacher in "The Feelings of Heaven and Earth" directed by Yu Zhong. Cui Jian performs on television and a major stage in Beijing for the first time in 7 years. The Dutch ambassador presents Cui Jian with the prestigious Prince Claus Award for artistic endeavours in the developing world. He plays a total of 28 shows in China this year
2001: For Chinese New Year Cui Jian makes a short tour of Europe, playing medium-sized venues in 4 cities. In February he premieres his dance musical Show Your Colors produced with film director, Zhang Yuan, and the Hong Kong Modern Dance Company. In August Cui Jian tours Europe again playing small clubs and major music festivals in in Cui Jian plays 24 shows this year.
2002: Cui Jian plays shows overseas in Pusan, Seoul, Atlantic City, and New York City early in the year. By summer he organizes and plays the SNOW MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL in Lijiang, Yunnan - dubbed the "Chinese Woodstock", the event is the highest altitude music festival in the world. In the last part of the year Cui Jian launches his "Anti-Lipsyncing Movement" - a series of musical/speaking events at universities and other venues thoroughout China aimed at raising public awareness about the insidious practice of lipsyncing pervading China's media. Cui Jian plays 23 shows this year.
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