The National Center for Traditional Arts of the Ministry of Culture hosted a year-end party on December 13, inviting more than 100 guests, including artists of traditional performing arts and scholars. Many seasoned performers of Taiwanese opera as well as Nanguan and Beiguan musicians gave impromptu performances, providing special entertainment to the heartwarming event.
Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te took the opportunity to express his utmost respect and solicitude to the professional artists for their life-long dedication towards their crafts.
Minister Lee said that the National Center for Traditional Arts organized the year-end event every year to pay tribute to senior performers, musicians and national treasures and show the gratitude for their contribution to the preservation of traditional arts.
He pointed out that President Tsai Ing-wen and Premier Su Tseng-chang have placed great importance on traditional arts, constantly reminding the Ministry of Culture to provide support to the preservation of traditional arts, including creating more performance opportunities and using incentives to encourage young people who have interest. The Ministry of Culture will continue to coordinate efforts of all sectors in to stimulate cultural creativity and produce a Taiwanese brand which is recognized on world stage, he added.
Over the years, the Ministry of Culture and the National Center for Traditional Arts have been committed to preserving and passing on Taiwan's intangible cultural heritage, considering this commitment its important mission and policy priority. Under two major projects, "Popularization of Traditional Arts (傳統藝術開枝散葉)," and "Cultivation of Successors of Traditional Arts (傳統藝術接班人)," a series of programs, including "restaging the classic" and "folk theaters," which have inspired interest in traditional performing arts, and "artist residency program," which aims at cultivating successors of traditional arts, have been implemented.
At the year-end party, many seasoned performers were on stage, including famous Taiwanese opera performers Hung Ming-hsueh (洪明雪), Wu Gui-yu (吳桂玉), Miao Wen-xue (廖文雪), and Cheng sheng (陳剩). Beiguan musicians Li Mei-Niang (李美娘) and Zhuang Qing-Fen (莊青芬) performed "Tianshuiguan (天水關)," and Nanguan musician Wu Mi-Fang (吳米芳) also performed her master pieces. Different traditional opera and musical genres were performed at the gathering, reflecting the splendor and vitality of Taiwan's traditional art scene.