Written/Compiled and Reported by Wei Ruyu
The National Palace Museum’s centennial celebration of the Republic of China presents the original opera “Emperor Kangxi and the Sun King Louis XIV,” which will grandly debut on the evening of October 15 and 16 at 7:30 PM on the outdoor platform of the museum’s main building. The public can exchange two ibon pre-sale double tickets for the “Emperor Kangxi and the Sun King Louis XIV Special Exhibition” for one opera ticket for October 16 at the “Emperor Kangxi and the Sun King Louis XIV” special exhibition ticket booth, on a first-come, first-served basis until supplies last. For those who do not secure an opera ticket, they may watch the live broadcast of the opera at the outdoor screening area in front of the museum’s main square on October 15 and 16. Entry to the screening area is free and unreserved, with no seating provided.
The opera will be simultaneously broadcast outdoors, and the public may enter freely. (Photo courtesy / National Palace Museum)
To transport audiences back to the splendid and glorious eras of the 17th and 18th centuries and to foster appreciation for precious cultural relics, the Palace Museum has specially curated this combination of a static exhibition and a dynamic opera performance. Visitors can not only view a variety of artifacts brought by 17th-century French missionaries in the museum, such as an astrolabe and a sector, but also explore the impact and influence of the Age of Exploration on these two monarchs through the music and unfolding drama of the opera. This multi-perspective approach delves into the mutual exchange and influence between the two great civilizations of the East and the West.
The two great monarchs from China and France are portrayed by Taiwan’s Peking opera master Wu Hsing-kuo (second from left) and French Baroque opera star Jean-François...
The special exhibition "Emperor Kangxi and the Sun King Louis XIV," which took three years to plan and is currently on display at the National Palace Museum’s Library and Information Building, brings together cultural relics from 18 institutions, including the National Palace Museum, three museums in mainland China, 13 French institutions, and private collector Li Jingxun from Hong Kong. It is the largest international special exhibition in Taiwan in recent years, running until January 3, 2012. Meanwhile, the opera "Emperor Kangxi and the Sun King Louis XIV," with an investment of tens of millions and involving over a hundred personnel, features top-tier artists across various fields, including director Wu Hsing-kuo, scriptwriter Zhang Dachun, composer Xu Shuya, stage designer Lin Kehua, costume designers Ye Jintian and Lai Xuanwu, as well as conductor Chiang Ching-po leading the “Musica Antiqua Orchestra.” Don’t miss this weekend getaway for a timeless artistic feast.