With the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Cultural Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Germany, the Rom Shing Hakka Opera Troupe (RSHOT, 榮興客家採茶劇團) has been invited to showcase two re-adapted performances: "Three-role Tea-picking Opera (三腳採茶戲)" and "The Song and Tea of the Earth Dragon (土龍神的茶與樂)" at Samogitian Museum ALKA in Lithuania on May 20 as part of the museum's annual celebration of crafts and gastronomy. On May 17, the troupe put up a pre-performance show at the DDR Museum Berlin in Germany.
The troupe has been registered by Miaoli County Government as the intangible cultural preserver of the Hakka Tea-Picking Opera. Their upcoming performance embodies the cultural significance of the Hakka society’s prayers for abundant food and clothing, which will serve as a meaningful dialogue with audiences. In addition, the Germany-based Taiwanese tea art cultural and creative team, Deerland Tea, will set up an experiential area at the performance venue for audiences to taste various Taiwanese teas, including Hakka Lei Cha, Bitter Orange Tea, and Oriental Beauty Tea. In response to the theatrical performance and gastronomic culture, the experiential area utilizes the symbols of "Hakka" and "tea culture" to leave a lasting impression of the artistic and cultural essence of Taiwanese Hakka tea opera on the tongues of audiences.
The Samogitian Museum ALKA is a historical museum that preserves and documents Samogitian culture. The culture is one of the five major ethnic cultures within Lithuania and is considered the least assimilated indigenous culture by Soviet influence in the country. Hakka culture also holds a significant position in Taiwan's folk cultures, and the Hakka people's pride in their cultural identity exhibits similarities to the pride felt by the Samogitian people. Through these performances, Taiwan will utilize "Hakka culture" as a medium to establish another platform for dialogue with Lithuania.