GuoGuang Opera Company (國光劇團), Taiwan's national Peking opera troupe, enthralled thousands of Polish audiences in the city of Radom and Łódź during mid-June with its signature show, 'The Monkey King.'
It marked the first time that a Taiwanese opera troupe has ever been performed on stage in Poland. Radom Mayor Andrzej Kosztowniak said that the performance of the "The Monkey King' gave his residents an incredible night of Asian culture.
Speaking at a cocktail reception after the show, the director of the local theater said the June 18 show was one of the troupe's most successful and thrilling performances as well as the first show that received applause for more than 15 minutes after the curtains fell.
Apart from formal performances, the troupe also held workshops prior to the show to introduce the traditional Peking opera art form to audiences during its tour in Europe. More than 400 students attended the workshops hosted by Lee Xiao-ping (李小平), director of the National Guoguang Opera Company.
The Monkey King is the main character of the 16th century Chinese novel "Journey to the West.” The story follows the rise of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King who was born from a stone, and his encounters with celestial characters such as the Jade Emperor and four Heavenly Kings.
After performing in Radom and Łódź, the troupe will proceed to Hungary and Slovakia to give five more performances.
GuoGuang Opera Company’s Poland tour was made possible by the Ministry of Culture and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Warsaw.
Members of the GuoGuang Opera Company, Taiwan's national Peking opera troupe, are pictured in the Polish city of Łódź on June 12, 2013.