During the reign of Daoguang Emperor in the 19th century, Minnan and Guangdong immigrants arrived in Taiwan and Kunqu opera was thus introduced to Taiwan. In the middle period of the 20th century, with the moving of the Nationalist Government to Taiwan, Kunqu opera experts and fans introduced Kunqu opera association founded in China to Taiwan and it resulted in foundation of Kunqu opera clubs in the colleges and universities and Kunqu opera and performance were instructed to students. Kunqu opera art then was launched in Taiwan.

Development of Kunqu opera in Taiwan after 1950

In 1949, the couple Yen-Chih Hsu and Shan-Hsiang Chang and Kunqu opera experts founded “Kunqu opera association” in Taipei; in 1953, Cheng-Yun Chiao and Huan-Hsin Hsia held song collection of Kunqu opera and in 1962, the name was changed as “Peng Ying song collection”. The members of the association undertook the job in turns. Since Yen-Chih Hsu and Shan-Hsiang Chang taught Kunqu opera in several colleges and universities, most of the participants of “Kunqu opera association” at the time were young people and students. Participants of “Peng Ying song collection” were mostly experienced fans. The earliest foundation of Kunqu opera club in the school was Kunqu opera club of Taipei First Girls High School in 1950. Kunqu opera club of National Taiwan University was founded in 1957, followed by other Kunqu opera clubs in universities and colleges. After graduation, the students established the troupes with regular annual performance. They launched courses of Kunqu operand promoted Kunqu opera art in Taiwan. Besides Kunqu opera association and school clubs, Curator of National Palace Museum, Mr. Fu-Cong Jiang, in 1968, founded “Research Institute of Chinese Kunqu Opera” with Mr. Chi-Yun Chang of Chinese Culture College and launched the research of Kunqu opera. Mr. Fu-Cong Jiang suggested Chinese Culture Restoration and Promotion Committee to found the division of Kunqu opera to promote Kunqu opera education. At the time, National College of Arts and Chinese Culture College introduced Kunqu opera courses which significantly contributed to Kunqu opera education and popularity in Taiwan.

Course of Kunqu opera on campus

The school promotes performing art of Kunqu opera

Governmental support for Kunqu opera

In March 1992, Cultural Affairs Committee held the first “Kunqu opera learning program” which was halted at the sixth session in October 2000. In six sessions of “Kunqu opera learning program” in 8 years, it cultivated more than 400 students who were from different classes of society. Thus, it resulted in the talents of Kunqu opera performance and the bands. After the learning of Kunqu opera, Beijing Opera professional actors not only reinforced their performing art, but also led to professional direction of Kunqu opera art in Taiwan. “Kunqu opera learning program” significantly influenced preservation, research, performance and promotion of Kunqu opera art in Taiwan. Private learning activities of Kunqu opera continue and activities of Kunqu opera clubs in different levels of schools are popular. Private Kunqu opera troupes are founded one after another. New Aspect Foundation introduced the performance of Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe in Taiwan. Subsequently, it invited Chinese Kunqu Opera troupes to Taiwan for more than ten times and they were applauded by the audiences. It resulted in the comment “the best Kunqu opera actors in China and the best Kunqu opera audiences in Taiwan”.

The members participated in the performance after accomplishing the learning

Private groups promote art education of Kunqu opera

Kunqu opera promotion in private organizations

In 2004, Chien Kuo Foundation for Arts and Culture, Jiangsu Suzhou Kun Opera Troupe, China Kunqu Museum and Suzhou Kunqu Academy produced Kunqu opera Palace of Eternal Life, the first performance of Kunqu opera in Taiwan in three years with complete story; in 2012, Chien Kuo Foundation and Philharmonic Radio Taipei cooperated with each other and produced the weekly radio program of Kunqu opera “Not Only Kunqu Ppera” and people were gradually familiar with and enjoyed Kunqu opera. In 2004, it was the first performance of the young version of The Peony Pavilion in Taipei produced by Hsien-yung Pai and Jiangsu Suzhou Kun Opera Troupe. It was the cooperation of the elites of Kunqu opera, literature, fine arts and design circles and it resulted in the rage of Kunqu opera around Taiwan. The piece was performed afterwards in China and around the world for at least one hundred times. In 2011, Hsien-yung Pai introduced the course “new aesthetics of Kunqu opera” in National Taiwan University. Besides, in order to allow the public who were interested in Kunqu opera to approach the art, Ｔrend Education Foundation proposed live streaming of the courses and thus people around the world could watch the excellent content. Since many members in GuoGuang Opera Company and National Taiwan College of Performing Arts participated in “Kunqu opera learning program”, they gradually joined in the annual public performance of Kunqu opera. For instance, in 2004, new Kunqu opera Butterfly Lovers with the first performance in National Theatre was the first Kunqu opera written and produced by Taiwan. It was performed in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing and it showed the artistic exchange of Kunqu opera between Taiwan and China.

 

The writer Hsien-yung Pai has been promoting Kunqu opera for years

New Kunqu opera Butterfly Lovers

Combination with museum education

From 2009, Curator of the National Palace Museum, Mr. Kung-shin Chou designated the combination between Chinese opera and museum education and planned 8 crossover activities upon historic relics and traditional Chinese opera in three years, “New Tune of National Palace Museum” repertory performance series. By Chinese opera performance and serial educational promotion activities, “New Tune of National Palace Museum” combined static relics and dynamic Chinese opera. With Chinese opera performance, the audiences passed through the time tunnel and approached the historic and cultural context implied in the relics. Chinese opera reinforced the aesthetics of stage by beautiful images of relics. It not only created virtual and physical visual performance of Chinese opera and relics for the audiences, but also introduced an innovative model to preserve, spread and promote Kunqu opera. In Taiwan, Kunqu opera association was founded in 1949 and it was the flourishing period of Kunqu opera club activities in different levels of schools; with “Kunqu opera learning program” of the government of 8 years, private Kunqu opera troupes were established one after another. Private public welfare organizations constantly introduced performance and learning activities. In the past 60 years, Kunqu opera has been successively rooted and blossomed in Taiwan with outcomes.

 

Chinese opera promotion by the National Palace Museum

National Palace Museum introduced the theatre of Chinese opera for free appreciation

 

Reference:Seehttp://www.observer-taipei.com/article.php?id=1194

Source of Photos:
Daily headlineshttps://kknews.cc/culture/pnpe2nz.html
Taipei Kunqu Opera Study Clubhttps://www.facebook.com/TaipeiKunquSociety
Lanting Kunqu Opera Troupehttps://www.lanting.at.tw/education.html
Guoguang Arts
https://kkissue.ncfta.gov.tw/onlinearticle_52_209.html
http://shuipaizi.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-post_9064.html
Epoch Timeshttps://www.epochtimes.com/b5/9/7/3/n2577533.htm

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