The most beautiful scenery in Taipei today: 40 clowns dancing on the street and giving hugs

Reporter: Yu    / Taipei photography and reporting

If you can't fly with angels, dance with clowns. On the 16th of this month, Taipei’s streets were graced with a unique, colorful parade as a group of brightly dressed clowns walked along the road, dancing and singing as they went. When they encountered passersby, they would stretch out their hands and smile, asking, “Can we give you a hug?”


▲%The reported scene took place on the street, featuring a rare burst of rainbow-colored clown energy.








The most captivating part of this special parade wasn’t the clowns themselves, but the surprised and delighted expressions on the faces of those they embraced. “Our dream is to spread joy to everyone,” said Huang Guanying, 24, the initiator of the parade and one of the co-founders of the “Contemporary Clown Studio.” Her first impression is one of enthusiasm and thoughtful care.

In 2010, Huang Guanying traveled to Italy, where she happened to attend a training workshop led by renowned local contemporary clown trainer Alessio di Modica. Greatly inspired during the workshop, she wanted to bring this concept back to Taiwan. “There are so many people in Taiwan who are willing to lend a hand to others, and clowning is also a form of art therapy, yet no one had tried it before.” Sparked by that one workshop, Huang Guanying, along with Yang Ziwei, Chen Wanting, Lin Yuxuan, and others, began introducing Taiwan to the unique therapeutic power of clowning, allowing more people to experience it firsthand.


▲Contemporary Clown Studio.

Last May, Huang Guanying returned to Italy for further contemporary clown training and also invited Italian trainer Alessio to Taiwan to share the secrets of spreading laughter. “The most important thing in learning how to be a clown is understanding your own body.” Now in its second year, the Contemporary Clown Studio workshop recruited 40 participants this year. Starting with getting to know their own emotions, they learned to extend laughter through their bodies and expressions, letting every part of the body radiate clear moments of happiness.

“Walking down the streets of Taipei, no one makes eye contact with each other,” said Huang Guanying. When Italian clown trainer Alessio first arrived in Taipei, he noticed that in this tech-savvy city, very few people engage in genuine eye contact on the streets. “When the clown appeared in the metro station, everyone’s gaze changed—they stopped just staring at their screens and started smiling and connecting with us.”


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After 48 hours of intensive training, 40 clowns took to the streets, with the sole purpose of spreading laughter. The clowns' route went from Taipei Railway Station to National Taiwan University Children's Hospital on foot.During the walk, Huang Guan-ying noticed a homeless person she had seen in the crowd last year, standing in the building of the Children's Hospital waiting for their arrival.“She told me that clowns have a special kind of power, and wherever a clown goes, the street fills with a joyful atmosphere.””




▲%The view here is beautiful, with many children playing around.




“Once we met an elderly man in a wheelchair, and one of our group wanted to take a photo with him, but the old man kept saying no.”Speaking about the interactions on the street, Huang Guanying’s voice trembled with emotion and tears, “Later, I gradually started talking with the grandfather, and his daughter encouraged him to take a photo with the group. The grandfather agreed and did it." Huang Guan-ying said that after taking the photo, her daughter, who was in a wheelchair, cried and said, "Thank you, I haven't seen my dad smile in a long time."”?br />
“If you can’t fly with angels, dance with clowns.“This is the slogan of the Contemporary Clown Workshop, and it’s also what the clowns truly practice on the streets.In the future, Huang Guan-ying has many ideals and hopes that one day in various Asian countries, people will also see the beautiful sight of clowns dancing with crowds.


▲%In the hospital's emergency department, the staff selected the most dedicated individuals.