Over six decades of broadcasting — Nantou Grand Theater’s “hidden voice” grandma has passed away

Reporter You t
ru / Taipei reporting

Over six decades of broadcasting, the “hidden voice grandma” of Nantou Grand Theater — a source of homesickness for Nantou natives — has passed away. Yesterday (19th), the sound of an ambulance screamed by, carrying the “hidden voice grandma” wearing an oxygen mask. With her descendants kneeling to send her off, the grandma returned home from the hospital, took her last breath, and brought an end to her extraordinary life of over 60 years of broadcasting.


▲ The young appearance of the “hidden voice grandma.” (Photo / Provided by Tsai Jie-Feng)

In the lobby of Nantou Grand Theater, which has been in operation for over 80 years, the sound from the loudspeaker goes like this: “Today’s special picks: Hall A features Harry Potter, Harry Potter; Hall B has The Hangover, The Hangover — don’t miss this great opportunity!” The powerful, rich Hokkien-accented Mandarin echoes through the streets as the broadcast vehicle makes its rounds. Many have even recorded this distinct local voice and uploaded it online, making it a nostalgic link for Nantou natives living abroad.

The person who recorded this full-of-local-flavor voice was the “hidden voice grandma” of Nantou Grand Theater. At the age of 77, her voice remains an indelible childhood memory for many locals. “Grandma didn’t just do the recordings — she also stood at the entrance to sell tickets, so many people knew her,” said Tsai Jie-Feng, the third-generation owner of Nantou Grand Theater. Grandma had been in good health originally but was hospitalized three weeks ago for abdominal fluid drainage. Unexpectedly, last week she developed peritonitis and then septicemia. “Grandma was really looking forward to being discharged,” Tsai said, his voice choked with emotion.


▲ % Before and after the changes at Jixian Cave (strong photo)


Nantou Grand Theater, which has been open for 80 years, is the only remaining old theater in Nantou County and is very familiar to many students from Taichung, Changhua, and Nantou. Previously, due to population outflow and declining audiences, the theater once faced closure. The third-generation successor, Tsai Jie-Feng, applied his creative marketing ideas by integrating “grandma’s voice” with the theater’s historic charm and gave it a fresh packaging — enabling the theater to stay in business.