“Two Bare Butts” and Taiwanese People’s Dream to Liberate Taiwan – A Bikini Carnival on Taipei Streets

 
▲ Cai Congming (left), founder of the Dream Carnival, helps many unsung individuals realize their dreams.

Reported by You Tzu-ju / Taipei

Everyone, no matter who they are, has the right to dream. The annual joyous celebration “2013 Dream Carnival” will be held from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM on October 19th at Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. Sixty spectacular teams from across Taiwan, along with large-scale installations, will parade through the city streets, transforming Taipei into the vibrant atmosphere of a Brazilian carnival. The event will feature bikini-clad grannies and even a fire-breathing naked man wearing only a thong and showing off his “two bare butts.”


▲ Massive installation artworks are one of the hallmarks of the Dream Carnival.

“When I take a swig of gasoline, tilt my head back, and blast fire toward the sky from the torch, it feels like I’m performing with my life. Through fire-breathing, it’s like focusing and being reborn again and again, and it also expresses the liberating spirit of the carnival that I want to convey.” Cai Congming, founder of the Dream Carnival, once wrote in his autobiography.

Having been held for 12 years, the Dream Carnival has grown from a community arts event with fewer than 30 participants into a grand gathering of five to six thousand people. After seeing carnivals abroad, Cai Congming was determined to bring the same passion back to Taiwan. Over the past 12 years, he has traveled to rural areas across Taiwan, teaching grandparents how to create large, creative floats using newspapers, how to dance by swaying their hips and arms, and how to apply exaggerated makeup. In the process, he helped communities rediscover their laughter. Cai also taught indigenous children in mountain villages to use their innate talents and to courageously pursue their dreams of playing samba drums.

The Dream Carnival includes participants ranging from the youngest 8-year-old samba drummer to 88-year-old samba-playing grandparents. Teams mobilized from communities, tribes, and universities across Taiwan—from Keelung in the north to Pingtung in the south—along with internationally renowned groups joining from overseas, such as Japan’s professional samba troupe “Explosive Samba Infection,” Tokyo’s highly acclaimed samba-reggae drum group “BARRAVENTO,” and “Brazil Music Club,” featuring members from Brazil, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Paraguay.


▲ The Dream Carnival features participants from the youngest 8-year-old samba drummer to 88-year-old samba-playing grandparents.

The existence of the Dream Carnival has inspired many unsung individuals to shine brightly through their dreams. At the same time, the Dream Carnival has become more colorful and dynamic thanks to these dream-chasers. The carnival not only showcases the bold fashion and creative flair of Taiwanese culture, but also integrates environmental consciousness and sustainable performance art. The 2013 theme group “Steel Pirates,” created to embody these ideals, will also invite participants from France, the United States, and other countries to join the Taiwanese contestants. The event will blend Brazilian, Hong Kong, and local Taiwanese cultural elements into a harmonious celebration.
Event Name: 2013 Dream Carnival Parade
Event Date: 2013/10/19
Parade Time: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Evening Show Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Assembly Location: Liberty Square, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Parade Route: Liberty Square, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall → Zhongshan South Road → Renai Road → Ketagalan Boulevard