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- What are the most popular forms of art in Taiwan?
Art forms for which Taiwanese particularly appreciate include brush ink painting, calligraphy, seal carving, porcelain, bronze, lacquerware, embroidery, paper cutting, and religious sculpture.
- Where can one find the world's best collection of oriental
art?
The National Palace Museum, located in the northern part
of Taipei, houses the world's largest collection of oriental
art and cultural treasures, ranging from ancient oracle bones
and bronze urns to scroll paintings and snuff bottles. The
museum's main collection contains some 640,000 priceless artifacts
and art pieces that date back 5,000 years. The sheer volume
of the entire collection--especially the immense number of
jade, porcelain, paintings, curios, and bronzes--is exhibited
in rotation, making each visit to the museum a unique experience.
The museum has guided tours in both English and Chinese.
- How has Taiwan preserved its traditional folk arts?
In 1980, the Ministry of Education sponsored a survey of Taiwan's folk arts and identified about 70 types of crafts and 56 types of performing arts being practiced in Taiwan. The following year, the Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) was set up to support and promote activities and events for both the fine arts and folk arts, giving equal emphasis to both.
The Cultural Heritage Preservation Law, passed in 1982, initiated such
programs as the Folk Art Heritage Award to honor outstanding
folk artists; provided monthly stipends for leading woodcarvers,
puppeteers, and other craftspeople and performers; and set
up training programs for apprentices. In addition, the CCA
produces documentary films about local arts and crafts.
One of the most extensive efforts to preserve, promote, and revive folk arts has been the CCA's National Festival of Culture and Arts. This annual festival focuses primarily on the traditional arts, such as paper umbrellas and lanterns, Hakka yodeling, drum dances, and carnival skits.
Local museums also display regional and indigenous culture and art. These include the Nantou Bamboo Arts Museum, the Taipei County Museum of Modern Pottery, the Taichung County Museum of Weaving Arts, the Taoyuan Chinese Furniture Museum, the Ilan County Museum of Taiwanese Opera, and the Taitung City Museum of Aboriginal Culture.
- What is Taiwanese Opera?
Taiwanese Opera is believed to be unique to Taiwan in terms of its origin and development. By tradition, the form is said to have its origin in short songs from Ilan County. These songs were purportedly influenced by the narrative music of Taiwan's aboriginal peoples and later evolved into a more powerful musical form. Taiwanese Opera was once performed on nearly every auspicious occasion, including weddings, birthdays, and temple festivals. The language used in the opera is Taiwanese, although influence from southern Chinese opera can be seen in the make-up, costumes, stage props, and stylized gestures. Today, Taiwanese Opera performances incorporate modern elements to the performance, such as lighting, special effects, and sound.
At present, there are nearly 200 troupes performing around the island, but only a few of professional caliber. The best known is the Ming Hwa Yuan Theater Troupe, established in 1929. Like other Taiwanese opera troupes, it began performing on outdoor stages, often set up in front of temples, but today it also performs at such prestigious venues as the National Theater. Other important companies include the Ho Lo Taiwanese Opera Troupe, the Han Yang Troupe, and the Lan Yang Troupe.
- What are the styles of puppetry performed in Taiwan?
Immigrants from southeastern China brought glove puppets, shadow puppets, and marionettes in the early 19th century, and local masters of puppetry gradually developed a unique Taiwan style.
Glove puppetry is the most popular form of puppetry among Taiwan audiences. Lee Tien-lu, a National Folk Arts Master, who passed away in August 1998, popularized the art with his innovative martial arts sequences, acrobatic stunts, and use of modern slang mixed with classical dialogue. His puppet troupe, I Wan Jan, has performed throughout Asia and won awards at puppetry festivals in New York and France.
Another key artist who brought dramatic change to glove puppetry is Huang
Hai-tai. In his melodramatic tales of ancient swordsmen, Huang
Hai-tai uses action-packed battle scenes perfectly choreographed
to match the fast-paced and spirited pei-kuan music.
His son, Huang Chun-hsiung, was also a trendsetter, modernizing
puppet theater and adapting it for television in the 1960s.
Using his father's chivalrous tales, he added popular music,
fantastic lighting, and other visual effects. Taiwan now has
a cable TV channel devoted exclusively to puppet shows.
- Where can I see Taiwanese arts?
In addition to museums such as the National Palace Museum in Taipei, the Taiwan Provincial Museum in Taichung, and the Kaohsiung Museum of Art, there are numerous galleries and exhibitions throughout the island. The National Concert Hall and National Theater in Taipei host many international performances, and popular music is staged in both city clubs and outdoor venues. English newspapers list various art events daily.
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