Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Emerging a little later in the Second New Wave was Ang Lee, Taiwan's most famous
director, known for his mega-hits
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
(2000) and
Broke-
back Mountain
(2005). Ang joined Hollywood in the mid-'90s but he continues to work
with and support the local industry in Taiwan.
Piracy and competition from Hong Kong and Hollywood films sent the Taiwanese
film industry into near collapse by the late '90s. With the release of Wei Te-sheng's
Cape
No 7
(2008), a romantic comedy that became a box office smash, audiences and critics
began to feel re-newed hope for the industry. Wei's
Seediq Bale
(2011), an epic about an
aboriginal revolt against the Japanese, as well as Doze Niu's
Monga
(2010), about gang-
sters in Taipei in the 1980s, and Tien-Lun Yeh
Night Market Hero
(2011), are keeping
the dream alive.
Taiwan has a rich puppetry tradition in marionette (string), glove, rod and shadow styles.
Check out the Lin Liu-Hsin Puppet Theatre Museum in Taipei.
Literature
Although Taiwanese writers have produced a significant body of literature, including
novels, short stories and poems, most works have not been translated into English. Much
modern writing has focused on the harsh realities of Taiwan's history and present-day so-
cial issues. One of the most controversial novels for its time, translated into English, is
Pai Hsien-yung's
Crystal Boys
(1983), a novel about Taiwan's gay scene.
To learn more about Taiwanese literature check out the National Museum of
Taiwanese Literature in Tainan.
