The Rom Shing Hakka Opera Troupe (榮興客家採茶劇團) will present the Hakka opera “Lin Zhan-mei (潛園風月)” at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, which is also known as Weiwuying, on Sept. 15. Hakka Affairs Council Minister Lee Yung-de attended the opera’s launch conference on Aug. 26 to promote the beauty of traditional Hakka performing arts.

In his speech, Minister Lee thanked Minister Huang Yung-ching (黃永卿) of the Council for Hakka Affairs of Kaohsiung City Government and Executive Office Production Director Jack Kuo (郭遠仙) of Weiwuying for their unwavering support. Lee also expressed his gratitude to Cheng Rom-shing (鄭榮興), artistic director of his namesake troupe, for Cheng’s dedication to Hakka theater. Leading the troupe with years of efforts, Cheng has impressed his audience by offering high-quality performances, Lee added.

Director Kuo stated that he was glad to see the troupe, which has won accolades from the Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts and Music (傳藝金曲獎) for 6 consecutive years, bring its performance to Weiwuying. He added that this will be the first Hakka opera to be performed on the world-class stage of the Kaohsiung arts center.

The opera is based on the life story of Lin Zhan-mei (林占梅), a member of Hsinchu gentry and a poet during the Qing Dynasty. Born to a wealthy family, Lin was well-educated, good-hearted, and loyal. In 1862, he recruited volunteer militia and helped the Qing court fight against a rebellion led by Tai Chao-chuen (戴潮春), who launched an insurrection in an attempt to defeat the Qing government. Lin’s great contribution earned him not only rewards from the government, but also the jealousy of others. He was entrapped and arrested under a scheme hatched by a governor who accused Lin of being a traitor. Tragically, the unbearable indignation led to his death.

Premiered in Taipei in 2015, the play has received favorable reviews from theater-goers, earning it the recognition of the 2016 Golden Melody Awards. This year, members of the troupe visited Lin’s descendants, rewrote the play, and decided to tour around Taiwan from July to October.

For those who are interested in traditional performing arts, this opera is a good example of the enduring appeal of Hakka culture. 

Tour schedule

Kaohsiung City

Location: National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)

Date: Sep. 15, 2019

Time: 14:30

Address:  1 Sanduo 1st Rd., Fengshan Dist., Kaohsiung City, Taiwan (R.O.C)

Taoyuan City

Location: Pingzhen Performing Arts Hall

Date: Oct. 13, 2019

Time: 14:30

Address: 88 Huannan Rd. Sec. 3, Pingzhen Dist., Taoyuan City, Taiwan (R.O.C)

Hsinchu City

Location: Hsinchu Performing Arts Center

Date: Oct. 18, 2019

Time: 19:30