• 2010-10-11

Beiguan music is sometimes referred to as Chinese “heavy metal.” Before November 21, an exhibit called Heaven’s Gift: Chuang Chin-tsai and Timeless Beiguan Music will be on display in the NCL Arts and Audiovisual Center. It was co-hosted by NCL and the Preparatory Office of the National Headquarters of Taiwan Traditional Arts’ Taiwan Music Center, with assistance from Luodong Fulan She. An opening ceremony was held at 2 p.m. on October 11th, with the director of the Preparatory Office of the National Headquarters of Taiwan Traditional Arts Ke Ji-liang, the director of the Taiwan Music Center Su Gui-zhi, the assistant director of the Han-yang Beiguan Troupe Li A-zhi, the assistant director of the Lan-yang Troupe You Yuan-keng, the chairman of the Er-jie Wang-gong Temple in Ilan Jian Yang-tong, and Zhang Hong-yi and Lan Bi-shan from the Taipei Municipal University of Education in attendance. During the opening ceremonies, the song “Heaven’s Gift” was performed, and Han-yang Troupe acted out a traditional opera called “Ban Tuan Yuan.” The noise of cymbals and drums crashing together were a Chinese style “heavy metal” musical feast for those in attendance. They also had the rare chance to see a regional opera performed. Influences of beiguan music can be seen in existing local traditional operas— from temples fairs and celebrations to religious ceremonies. It can be played in a variety of ways, as arias, with musical accompaniment, in an opera, or with cymbals and drums. With the change of time, Western music and pop music have taken over the space previously occupied by traditional music. How can traditional beiguan music keep up with the rhythm of modernity? The mix of the old and new is an important issue for the continuation of this style of music. A special invitation was issued to Kou Chou Ching, a hometown Taiwan band, to perform beiguan songs for the audience. The result was an infusion of life into beiguan music, by mixing it with hip-hop and reggae tunes—a style of music that is distinctly Taiwanese in form and flavor. The protection and continuation of this national cultural treasure is something in which Chuang Chin-tsai and the Han-yang Troupe have invested much effort. The beiguan exhibition is the first music-related exhibition at NCL. As an important national archive, the promotion of local culture is as necessary as its preservation. NCL desires that the Arts and Audio-visual Center will become a top archive for arts and audio-visual material in Taiwan. At the same time, we hope that seeds can be planted in the lives of the people here, that this exchange can spur more creativity in artists and musicians, so that an artistic and literary vision will be present in every part of society. The public is invited to visit the Arts and Audio-visual Center, and hear the musical sounds of trumpets, strings, winds, cymbals, and drums, bringing to mind the memories of temple fairs—a cultural art worth preserving. NCL’s Arts and Audiovisual Center is located at 156 Yanping South Road, and is open every Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is closed on Mondays.