Taiwan’s first public Taiwanese opera group
Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun visited Lan-Yang Taiwanese Opera Company (蘭陽戲劇團) on Feb. 16 to cheer on the dancers on the eve of their new performance, pointing out that a public Taiwanese opera group like Lan-Yang could exert its influence to preserve the traditional art form not only through performances, but also through public education, innovative content, and talent cultivation.
Given that Taiwanese opera originated in Yilan, the establishment of Lan-Yang Taiwanese Opera Company by the Yilan County Government was an important move to facilitate the inheritance of cultural traditions and knowledge from generation to generation, she added.
At the start of this year, the Ministry of Culture has allocated NT$15.5 million to the Yilan County Government through the Executive Yuan's Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program to overhaul Yilan's arts and cultural venues and upgrade their operations.
Of the NT$4.5 million devoted to streamlining and enhancing such operations, NT$2 million is aimed at facilitating closer cooperation between Lan-Yang and cultural organizations and sites based in Yilan, Minister Cheng explained.
With the National Center for Traditional Arts as its performance platform and the Ministry's funds as its performance budget, Lan-Yang hopes to stay robust at a time when traditional theatrical arts are facing a throng of challenges in a transitioning Taiwan society.
In the meantime, it will continue to present the exquisiteness of Taiwanese culture, the local features of Taiwan, and the affable style of Taiwan's folk arts through its performances on both local and international stages. More information is available here.