Chinese Name: 陳勝國
Born: 1954
Birthplace: Pingtung County (Southern Taiwan)
Did You Know That…?
Currently serving as the director of Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group (明華園戲劇總團), Chen Sheng-kuo is a distinguished Taiwanese opera actor, playwright, and director. Over the years, he produced more than 300 scripts for outdoor performances, and over 50 for indoor stage productions. Recognized for his outstanding contributions, he was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons in 1995 and received the National Award for Arts in 2018.
Chen Sheng-kuo was born into a family of Taiwanese opera performers in 1954. His father, Chen Ming-chi (陳明吉), founded the Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group, while her mother, Hsu Hsiu-hua (許秀花), was one of its performers. From a young age, Chen displayed a strong talent for storytelling, inspired by his passion for comics and novels. His career in opera began at age 13 when he stepped in as a last-minute substitute for an actor during an emergency. By 18, he was narrating “The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants (七俠五義),“ after the originally hired narrator was unable to perform, marking his debut as a Taiwanese opera narrator. At 20, he won Best Male Lead and Best Directing for his performance in “The Double Speared Lu Wen Long (雙槍陸文龍)” at a local Taiwanese opera competition.
From ages 28 to 39, Chen worked as a script supervisor at his brother’s film production company, where he studied filmmaking techniques and fast-paced storytelling. He then returned to Ming Hwa Yuan as a director, playwright, and actor. After producing “The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan Yun (燕雲十六州),” he stepped down from acting and focused on directing and writing. His deep understanding of scriptwriting, coupled with his love for comics, allowed him to craft dynamic plots that heightened dramatic tension through pacing. By tailoring performances to fit the unique style of each actor, he became an indispensable figure within the troupe.
Under Chen’s leadership, Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group has received multiple accolades for its performances, including “Father and Son (父子情深)” in 1982, “Living Buddha Ji Gong (濟公活佛)” in 1983, “Fighting Tiger (搏虎)” in 1985, and “Liu-Chuan, Melon Ambassador to Hell (劉全進瓜)” in 1986. The troupe has also been invited by Taiwan’s and France’s Ministries of Culture to perform in Paris and has toured major cities such as Bangkok, Berlin, Johannesburg, and Singapore.
Chen is best known for his Eight Immortals (八仙) and Ji Gong (濟公) series, with his narratives often centering on characters from lower social classes—stories that strongly resonate with audiences. Innovating in the art form, he introduced filmmaking techniques such as montage effects and stream-of-consciousness storytelling to enhance pacing, adapting Taiwanese opera to modern viewing habits.
His works consistently explore themes of humanity and resistance against fate, expressed through love, familial ethics, and the conflicts between personal desires and external circumstances. Unlike traditional operas that adhere strictly to classical moral values, Chen’s scripts incorporate contemporary social issues, offering fresh perspectives. Additionally, he revitalizes existing scripts by enhancing visual effects and simplifying auditory elements, shifting the emphasis from the traditional listening experience to a viewing spectacle.