Department of Cultural Affairs

By Ya-an Chan
Staff Writter

From Sunday, Nov. 11 to Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, the 2012 Fun Town & Opera will be held in Wanhua Tang Bu Cultural Park, featuring a series of traditional performances including 35 appearances by 20 Wanhua-based groups. Local organizations such as Taipei Ching-Ho-Kuang Lion Dance Troupe, gospel singing and dancing, and the Hualiang Elementary School wushu team participated in a press conference for the series on Nov. 11, 2012.

Government officials including Taipei City Councilors Kuo Chao-yan and Chin Hui-chu, Commissioner of Taipei City's Department of Cultural Affairs Liou Wei-gong, Commissioner of the Department of Civil Affairs Lu Ching-ju, former Wanhua District Chief and currently Chief Secretary of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission (RDEC) Chou Te-wei, and current Wanhua District Chief Huang Guo-yen made appearances at the press conference for the 2012 Fun Town & Opera.

Wanhua Tang Bu Cultural Park is located on the site of the Taipei Sugar Refinery, which operated from 1912 to 1942. Only warehouses A, B and C of the entire refinery still remain and have been listed as Taipei City historical sites. In 2010 the Ming Hwa Yuan Arts & Cultural Group was invited by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government to move into Tang Bu Cultural Park and make it a base for the group's efforts in preserving and passing on traditional Taiwanese opera. Warehouse A has been reserved for use for sugar industry-related events and by local residents, while Warehouse B was converted into a rehearsal space and re-named the Wanhua Tang Bu Arts Warehouse.

A "Special Drama Exhibition of the Ming Hua Yuan Arts & Cultural Group" is currently being held in Warehouse C. The show includes the performance group's costumes, stage props and a scenery workshop. Warehouse C is also the main stage for "Behind the scenes --- A Dramatic Arts Exhibition" as part of 2012 Fun Town & Opera. Ming Hua Yuan Arts & Cultural Group says it hopes to give visitors an opportunity to enjoy a close-up experience of traditional Taiwanese opera culture. The group wants people to appreciate that Taiwanese opera is not just about stage performances, it is a combination of various artistic elements including costume and scenery design.

The Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government explains that 2012 Fun Town & Opera echoes with the nostalgic atmosphere of Wanhua and the old sugar refinery, creating a retro space through various display techniques that show multiple dimensions of traditional opera on the inside as well as outside. In addition to hand-painted folk arts and other installation arts, the theatrical costume show, a sugar art show, activities for parents and children, and traditional art performances, further extend interaction with the public in all directions to show the spirit and practice of Wanhua Tang Bu Cultural Park in promoting traditional opera as a form of "public art."