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Liming Primary School (2010 CyberFair Project ID 6327)
Taiwan,
Yilan
Official Status:
Final Project: Ready for Judging
Teacher:
Category: 1. Local Leaders
We estimate 14 student(s) from 10 to 12 will work on this entry.
Description of Our Community: The Yilan where we live is located in the Lanyang Flatlands. Ever since Han people settled here, folk arts from all over converged on this place, causing Yilan to become a strategic point for the transmission of folk arts. According to tradition, during the Daoguang reign period of the Qing dynasty, a master of theater who specialized in teaching, Jian Wendeng, moved to Yilan from Zhanghua and started a school to transmit Beiguan theater; from this point Beiguan spread among the people of Yilan. Beiguan theater thrived from the 18th century until after World War Two. Because Beiguan repertory was quite diverse, including singing without costumes or acting just for casual entertainment, performances to repay the spirits or welcome the gods back to their temples, and providing mourning music at funerals. Therefore, people from all levels of society, regardless whether rich or poor, will all organize community troupes to practice and perform during their leisure time. In the past we conducted research on Mr. Chen Wangchong's "Native Gezai" and Mr. Ling Rongchun's "Puppet Pony Formation." This time we have adopted as the target of our research the "Beiguan Theater" of Master Zhuang Jincai. In addition to feeling warm all, we also deeply realized the impending loss of this tradition and the difficulty in preserving it. Therefore, in addition to hoping to record this soon to be lost tradition on the internet, we also hope that all will respect and support the maintenance of this traditional art form.
Project Description: Master Zhuang Jincai has mastered the musical instruments of Beiguan theater, and is currently the Director of the Hanyang Beighuan Theatrical Troupe, Director of the Fulan Association of Luodong, and an Adjunct Professor at the Taibei Fine Arts University. He has received such awards as the 16th Passing the Torch Award for Folk Art from the Department of Education and the 8th Global Chinese Culture and and Fine Arts Passing the Torch Award. Master Zhuang followed a theatrical troupe since childhood; added to this was his extraordinary effort to master the art. Therefore, his performances are outstanding, whether in the musical ensemble or in the drum section. Having mastered Beiguan theater, his disciples who inherited the tradition are numberless. Nevertheless, the changing times have caused traditional Beiguan theater to lose much of its original ground. Master Zhuang was moved by the decline of performers; the survival of Beiguan theater and development have reached a serious crisis. In order to allow Beiguan to be handed down among the people, in addition to accepting invitations to perform the classical repertory of Beiguan theater during art festivals or holidays, and in order to preserve and develop this moving Beiguan theater, he is even more active in cooperating with government institutions to handle the work of passing down the art, grafting on new growth to this theatrical tradition and nurturing talent to receive the torch of transmission. In all reality this will preserve for society a precious cultural heritage, and tap more diverse sources for a new resurgence of Beiguan with more academic and cultural value.