Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Music
In addition to aboriginal song, Taiwan has a long and rich tradition of classical instru-
mental music such as Nanguan (southern pipes) and Beiguan, which originated in Fujian
province (the ancestral home to most Taiwanese).
Folk music includes Hakka
shan ge
(mountain songs), and the Holo music of the
Hengchun Peninsula (very southern Taiwan) in which singers are accompanied by the
yuèqín
(moon lute). In the hit Taiwanese movie
Cape No 7,
the character of Old Mao
plays the
yuèqín.
Taiwanese pop music goes back decades. One of the most popular singers in the 1970s
was silky voiced Teresa Teng (1953-95) whose grave in Jinbaoshan Cemetary (just up
from the Juming Museum) is still visited by adoring fans to this day. Perhaps even more
well known in the Chinese-speaking world is A-mei (Ā Mèi; born 1972), a singer-song-
writer from Taiwan's Puyuma tribe. Younger stars include Jay Chou and Joline, both
huge idols in China.
Since the late 1990s, Taiwan has developed a vibrant indie, hip hop, folk and under-
ground scene, with some bands, like metal Chthonic becoming near household names.
Popular music festivals such as Spring Scream (
Click here
)
and Hohaiyan Rock Festival
(
Click here
)
continue to introduce new bands to a wide audience.
Learn more about native aboriginal arts and crafts at Wulai Atayal Museum, Shung Ye
Museum of Formosan Aborigines in Taipei, and Ketagalan Culture Centre in Beitou.
Performance Arts
Taiwanese Opera
The various styles of folk opera commonly seen in Taiwan have their origin in Fujian
and Guangdong provinces, though over the centuries they have been completely local-
ised to the point where they are now recognised as distinct art forms. Initially performed
on auspicious occasions such as weddings, birthdays and temple festivals, folk opera
later developed into a more public art form, drawing larger audiences. By the 1940s op-
era was the most popular folk entertainment in Taiwan and remains well-received to this
day.
Taiwanese opera is complimented by a wide range of musical instruments, including
drums, gongs, flutes, lutes and two- and three-stringed mandolins. Common opera styles
include Nanguan Xi Opera and Gezai Xi (sometimes just called Taiwanese opera), which
evolved out of a ballad tradition that involved musical accompaniment. It's the most
