Curtain rises for cross-strait Taiwanese opera meet

A seminar on the development of Taiwanese opera, attended by specialists from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, kicked off yesterday as opera singers from the two countries gathered in Taipei.

The forum, sponsored by the Council for Cultural Affairs and the Liao Chiung-chih Taiwanese Opera Cultural Foundation, will run until Sept. 4.

The five-day symposium, the fourth of its kind since 1995, is being held in Taipei City and Ilan County, where Taiwanese opera is said to have originated 100 years ago.

From Sept. 9 to Sept. 16, participants will head to Zhangzhou and Xiamen, China for another round of cultural interchange.

Tchen Yu-hsiu (陳郁秀), the head of the council, said that the purpose of the seminars was to make known the history of Taiwanese opera, while at the same time promoting the art form and elevating the quality of its performance.

The seminar is divided into two components: performances and symposiums.

Prominent opera singers from both sides of the Strait will be performing during the seminar, including two groups from Taiwan -- the Ho-Lo Taiwanese Opera Troupe and Ming Hua Yuan Taiwanese Opera Troupe -- and one group each from Zhangzhou and Xiamen.

Topics, such as Taiwanese operatic education and research of Taiwanese opera, will be featured in the symposium.

The origin of Taiwanese opera has become the focus of debate in recent years, with some people claiming the art form began in China, not Taiwan.

Scholars have yet to agree on any conclusion regarding its origins.