Minister Lee visits Harmony Cultural Experience Theatre, aspires to create an environment conducive to the development of Xiqu

According to the Ministry of Culture, Culture Minister Lee Yung-te (李永得), accompanied by the director of Harmony Cultural Experience Theatre (緣龍文化體驗戲館) Jiang Ming-lung (江明龍), and deputy director of the National Center for Traditional Arts (NCTA) Tsou Chiu-chiang (鄒求強), visited the theatre on Nov. 6. Lee expressed his gratitude to Jiang for his dedication to the education and inheritance of Xiqu (戲曲), a traditional form of musical theatre that originates from China.

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The director Jiang Ming-lung introduced 11 young performers whose average age is under 10. (Photo / Provided by Ministry of Culture)

Under Jiang's leadership, the theatre provides visitors of different age groups a leisure space for a customized cultural experience. Visitors can participate in the joyful and creative experiential courses that the theatre offers, and experience the culture of Xiqu by dressing up in costumes. Most importantly, the aim of systematic teaching in these courses is to promote the culture of traditional Xiqu as well as ensure that it will be passed down to future generations.

Furthermore, Jiang specially arranged a performance "The Eight Drunken Immortals" presented by 11 young performers whose average age is under 10. Even though their rehearsals for the performance were disrupted by the pandemic for the past ten weeks, but they performed significantly well in singing, chanting, and acting.

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Lee Yung-te witnessed the hope of passing down "Taiwan Opera". (Photo / Provided by Ministry of Culture)

Those present at the event included director Jiang's wife Wang Shih-ting (王詩婷), 17-year-old daughter Jiang Wei-chi (江偉綺), who is good at choreography, singing and dancing, second daughter Jiang Wei-ning (江偉寧), who played Han Xiang Zi (韓湘子), one of the eight immortal deities, and youngest daughter Jiang Wei-en (江偉恩), who played Jintong (金童), a deity serving as a guide in Chinese mythology, in addition to children who are learning Xiqu, accompanied by their parents.

Lee thanked the Harmony Cultural Experience Theatre for showing the hope of the continuation of traditional Xiqu. He believed that if people learned it from an early age, the culture will be preserved forever.

Moreover, in his conversation with Minister Lee, director Jiang mentioned a cultural revival project related to the folklore performances at temple fairs. Minister Lee agreed that the plan could benefit local arts and cultural groups and carry forward Taiwan’s local culture. He hoped that NCTA will discuss how to strengthen the integration with local resources and build a platform for communication and promotion, so as to create an environment conducive to the development of traditional Xiqu.