The Golden Era Revisited: Shengping Theater in Jiufen Reopens with Film Screenings

By Li Xinyi

Once the largest theater in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period, Shengping Theater had stood silently on Jiufen’s Old Street since its closure in 1986, dilapidated and deserted, eventually turning into ruins. To promote tourism in the Jinkeng-Jiufen (Jinshandong, Jinguashi, and Jiufen) area, the New Taipei City Government renovated Shengping Theater, which finally reopened after 25 years. On the opening day, September 16, director Wu Nien-jen, who grew up in Jiufen’s Dakueng area, was invited to serve as the benshi (narrator) for the film screening. The restored ticket gate, stage, and second-floor seating area looked just as they did in the past, and the theater was packed with visitors. Shengping Theater once again bustled with the lively atmosphere of its heyday. Wu Nien-jen shared that at the age of six, he was squeezed to the front of the theater to watch a movie, never imagining that at sixty, he would be back standing here watching films again.

Jiufen and Jinguashi flourished during the gold rush era. The bustling Pingbian Road in front of Shengping Theater was once a famous entertainment street, home to the well-known brothel Chaoxianlou. Though stripped of its former glamour, the building now looks no different from ordinary residences. The mining boom also gave rise to theaters, with Shengping Theater being the first in northern Taiwan. It originally staged Taiwanese opera before transitioning to silent films, complete with a benshi narrating the plots and providing additional services such as crowd control. As the mining industry declined, the town fell quiet, and the theater’s seats were removed by residents, leaving only the structure. Fortunately, the original "six-seat rows" were later recovered from local homes and are now displayed at the entrance, alongside a recreated retro-style convenience store.

Since reopening, Shengping Theater has attracted many elderly locals from Jiufen, as it holds deep emotional significance for them. Wu Nien-jen mentioned during the opening ceremony that you can encounter memories around every corner in Jiufen. If you’ve been to Jiufen before, you’ve likely visited Shengping Theater. Come see how the theater you remember has transformed and how vivid those memories have become. From now until December 18, the theater will host a series of events, including screenings of classic films such as Hill of No Return, Dust in the Wind, Dad, Where Are We Going?, and 7 Days in Heaven every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.