By Liu Jiawen, compiled and reported
Now in its 8th year, the Taichung Traditional Arts Festival officially kicked off at 7 PM on Sunday (the 12th) at the Grand Theater of Wenxin Forest Park. During the event, 26 groups including the Hongsheng Lion Dance Troupe, Chunmei Opera Troupe, and Jiutian Folk Arts Troupe will take turns performing. This year’s event has expanded to the mountainous, coastal, and urban districts of Taichung, with performances on the 18th and 19th at the Port Art Center, the 25th and 26th at the Huludun Cultural Center, and March 3rd at the Dongshi Hakka Cultural Park, allowing residents from different areas to enjoy a variety of traditional art forms such as opera, dance, and folk performances.
The Taichung Traditional Arts Festival opened on the evening of the 12th at the Grand Theater of Wenxin Forest Park, where the Hongsheng Lion Dance Troupe performed the Electric Light Dragon show. (Photo provided by Taichung City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau)
The opening event on Sunday will feature exchanges between popular singers and traditional arts troupes. Among them, the Hongsheng Lion Dance Troupe, in coordination with the closing of the Taichung Lantern Festival that evening, will present a special Electric Light Dragon performance. When the lights go out, audiences can see a 15-meter-long glowing dragon come to life with vivid movements. There will also be powerful performances by the Sea Breeze Band and Okinawa no Kokoro, together with Taipei Extreme Percussion. On February 18th and 19th at the Port Art Center, the Chunmei Opera Troupe, which participated in the film "Dragon & Phoenix Dance," and the five-generation Wuzhouyuan Puppet Troupe will perform back-to-back.
During the event, 26 troupes will take turns performing at four venues: Wenxin Forest Park, Port Art Center, Huludun Cultural Center, and Dongshi Hakka Cultural Park. (Photo provided by Taichung City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau)
The Huludun Cultural Center will host events on February 25th and 26th, featuring performances by the Longyi Pavilion Puppet Troupe, Hehe Art Studio, as well as the Xinxing Elementary School Children’s Taiwanese Opera Troupe and the Shangshi Elementary School Diabolo Team, which bear witness to the passing on of traditional arts. A traditional arts market will also be set up, with stalls selling sugar painting, vintage toys, and ocarinas. Free traditional arts workshops will be offered daily, allowing the public to register on-site for DIY activities such as making dough figurines, bamboo dragonflies, and pinwheels. The closing performance of the Traditional Arts Festival will be held on March 3rd, featuring the internationally acclaimed Jiutian Folk Arts Troupe and the Taiwan Academy of Traditional Arts Variety Troupe, who will present the finale at the Dongshi Hakka Cultural Park. For detailed event information, visit the Taichung City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau website: www.culture.taichung.gov.tw.
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