Theater
Performed under the 12th Taipei Arts Festival (第十二屆台北藝術節), Stifters Dinge by German avant-garde director and composer Heiner Goebbels is part music, part art installation and part theater.
■ Taipei Brewery (台北啤酒工場347成品倉庫), 85, Bade Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市八德路二段85號)
■ Tonight at 4:45pm and 7:45pm, tomorrow at 2:45pm and 7:45pm and Sunday at 2:45pm
■ Tickets are NT$1,200, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
A collaboration between Xin Xin Nanguan Ensemble (心心南管樂坊) and French director Lukas Hemleb, Feather (羽) is a contemporary nanguan (南管) opera based on a Chinese myth about celestial bodies. [See story on Page 13.]
■ Experimental Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow
at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday
at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, What’s Young (青少年表演藝術聯盟) presents *UCK，F*CK，FU*K，FUC* (花樣年華青少年), which tells the story of a group of young adults who stage a play that they first tried to produce 10 years earlier while they were in high school. The play is part of the What’s Young Drama Festival (花樣年華青少年戲劇節).
■ Crown Art Center Theater (皇冠小劇場), 50, Ln 120, Dunhua N Rd, Taipei City (台北市敦化北路120巷50號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow
at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday
at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400, available
through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Taipei Philharmonic Theater’s (愛樂劇工廠) musical A Love Story About Shanghai and Taipei (雙城戀曲) presents the tale of two lovers separated by events beyond their control in 1949 when the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) fled to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War. The lavish production includes plenty of golden oldies from the 1940s to the 1960s.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday
at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Choreographed by Yu Neng-sheng (余能盛), The Door (門) is Chamber Ballet Taipei’s (台北室內芭蕾) newest production. Guest performers include Nadja Saidakova from the ballet of the Damstadt Staatstheater and Richard Szabo from the ballet of the Vienna State Opera. [See story on Page 13.]
■ Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號)
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Sunday at 3pm
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,500, available through available
through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
Dialogues Among the Magical Woods (魔幻森林的對話), part of the Music Forum Weekend Concert Series (十方樂集週末音樂會系列), presents the Sylvanus Quartet performing a program of works including Handel’s Trio Sonata in B-flat Major, Schumann’s Drei Romanzen and Jeffrey Rathbun’s Three Diversions for Two Oboes. The performance culminates with a new work, The Wood Between the Worlds, composed for the quartet by American composer Phil Salathe, who took inspiration from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.
■ Today at 7:30pm
■ Forum Auditorium (十方樂集音樂劇場演奏廳), 4, Ln 187, Minzu W Rd, Taipei City (台北市民族西路187巷4號)
■ Tickets are NT$400, available
through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Lost in Wonderland Children’s Concert (兒童樂園2 — 2010絃琴藝緻音樂逍遙遊) is a family concert of easy-listening classics and music taken from well-known Disney cartoons and the Harry Potter films performed by a string trio.
■ Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Henry Mazer Music and Culture Center (台北愛樂暨梅哲音樂文化館) at B1, 7, Jinan Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市濟南路一段7號B1)
■ Tickets are NT$250, available
through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Shock Concert Band (震撼•Ⅰ•地球) performs its 25th anniversary concert this weekend with music on a theme of the environment, including work by local composers and selections from classics such as Gustav Holst’s The Planets Suite. The concert features French horn soloist Liu Tsu-fu (劉子甫).
■ Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Howard International House (福華文教會館), 2F, 30, Xinsheng S Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市新生南路三段30號2F)
■ Tickets are NT$300 and NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Contemporary
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. No shows are scheduled this weekend as of press time. On Wednesday, it’s Come on! Bay Bay! (來吧!焙焙!), whose indie-pop sound is along the lines of Belle and Sebastian, and another indie-pop group, Miss Silk Stocking (絲襪小姐).
■ Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), Center Five Hall (中五館),
1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
■ Shows start at 8:30pm
■ Admission is NT$500 on Wednesday (NT$400 in advance). Tickets can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
Tonight, Hong Kong Canto-pop singer Denise Ho (何韻詩), aka HOCC, makes her Taiwan debut at The Wall (這牆). No shows are scheduled tomorrow as of press time. On Sunday, newcomer band Goosander (川秋沙) opens for post-rock band Sorry Youth and Hoklo-singing indie rockers Windmill (風籟坊). Mafianjo (瑪菲安喬), 13 High and aspiring pop singer Shara Lin (林逸欣) take to the stage on Wednesday.
■ B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1).
Tel: (02) 2930-0162. On the Net:
www.thewall.com.tw
■ Shows start at 8pm tonight, Sunday and Wednesday
■ Entry tonight is NT$500 (NT$400 in advance), NT$400 on Sunday and Wednesday (NT$300 in advance). Tickets can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Witch House (女巫店) hosts post-rock band Cicada and Shine Lin (林倩), lead singer of long-standing indie band The Peppermints. Arrive early tomorrow to get a seat for iconic Hoklo folk singer Chen Ming-chang (陳明章) and his Tamsui Tour Band (陳明章與淡水走唱團). Indie rockers Yoz Tiger (包子虎) appear on Thursday.
■ 7, Ln 56, Xinsheng S Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市新生南路三段56巷7號).
Tel: (02) 2362-5494. On the Net:
www.witchhouse.org
■ Performances start at 9:30pm. Restaurant/bar with queer/feminist bookstore and large collection of board games open 11am to midnight Sundays through Wednesdays, 11am to 1am Thursdays through Saturdays
■ Admission for music shows is NT$300
Tonight is “fusion jazz night” at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言), featuring a group led by owner and session guitarist Geddy Lin (林正如). Tomorrow, Mando-pop singer Yvonne Chang (張涵雅) takes to the stage. On Sunday, it’s new age/smooth jazz band Bearland (貝爾藍德) and the Hands Up Band (分享器). Monday is the venue’s weekly open jam.
■ B1, 2, Ln 244, Roosevelt Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路三段244巷2號B1), next to Taipower Building (台電大樓). Tel: (02) 2368-7310. On the Net: www.riverside.com.tw
■ Shows start at 9:30pm tonight and 9pm all other nights. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ Admission is NT$400 tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and NT$150
on Monday
Tonight at Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館), it’s pop rock and Mando-pop performers Color Band, Hsiao Hung-ren (蕭閎仁) and Red Flower (紅花樂團). Skyline Jazz Band, whose repertoire includes bossa nova, soul, funk, fusion and R ’n’ B, appears tomorrow. On Thursday, Mando-hip-hop performer Manchuker (滿人), takes to the stage.
■ 177 Xining S Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧南路177號). Tel: (02) 2370-8805. On the Net: www.riverside.com.tw
■ Shows start at 8:30pm
■ Admission is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow and NT$300 on Thursday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Underworld (地下社會) hosts Japanese thrash metal band Pastafasta, Sleaze and punk band Inhuman Species (非人物種). Tomorrow it’s upbeat punks Punkhoo (胖虎樂團), with The Hoyo as the opening act. On Wednesday, it’s up-and-coming bands Youth Banana (台青蕉) and 3D Square (立體方塊).
■ B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1). Tel: (02) 2369-0103. On the Net: www.upsaid.com/underworld
■ Music shows run from 9:30pm to 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays
and 9pm to 11pm on Wednesdays. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays. Happy hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
■ Entrance for music shows is NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, which includes one drink, and NT$100 on Wednesdays
Earl Hines II Jazztet plays tonight at Sappho de Base, the late night lounge bar and hangout for musicians from Taipei’s jazz and blues scene. Tomorrow, Coromandel Express performs a “musical masala” of jazz. On Tuesday, it’s Grace’s Jazz Trio. On Wednesday, it’s an evening of French chanson and other European folk music with expat group Faubourg 116. The venue’s open jam is on Thursday, hosted by Rocky and The Barfly.
■ B1, 1, Ln 102, Anhe Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市安和路一段102巷1號B1).
Tel: (02) 2700-5411. On the Net:
www.sappho102.biz
■ All music shows begin at 10pm, except for Wednesday, which begins
at 9:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$100 tonight and tomorrow and Wednesday, free on other nights
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead include songstress Julia Peng (彭佳慧) and male crooner Shin Lung (辛隆), who performs every Saturday.
■ 211, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北 市安和路二段211號). Tel: (02) 2738-3995. On the Net: visit www.ez5.com.tw
■ Music shows run from 9:45pm
to 12:30am
■ Entrance fee (includes two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
Tonight Roxy Roots hosts veteran blues/garage rockers Celluloid (賽璐璐). Tomorrow expat hip-hop group Dr Reniculous Lipz and The Skallyunz and DJ Subtle take to the stage for the venue’s Chinese Valentine’s Day celebration. On Wednesday it’s funk and R ‘n’ B with Groove Department (韻律部).
■ 90 Songren Rd, Taipei City (台北市松仁路90號). Tel: (02) 2725-3932. On the Net: www.roxy.com.tw
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance for music shows is
NT$300 (NT$200 credited toward food and drinks)
The Wall (這牆) programs regular
live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Tonight’s lineup features indie rockers Macbeth (馬克白) and Green!Eyes. Heavy metal bands Hekate and Dying Chelsea perform both tomorrow and Sunday afternoon.
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號). On the Net: pier-2.khcc.gov.tw, www.thewall.com.tw
■ Shows start at 7:30pm tonight and 4pm tomorrow
■ Admission is NT$300 tonight and NT$600 tomorrow
Taipei Swing holds dance socials on Friday nights at Capone’s, with live music from blues band BoPoMoFo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). Dancers of all levels are welcome, and beginner’s lessons
are offered while the band takes a break. Tomorrow it’s light rock music from Supernova.
■ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號)
■ Live music from 9pm to 11:30pm on Fridays, 8pm to 11:30pm on Saturdays
■ On Fridays, minimum charge of one drink, dancers receive a free drink coupon. On Saturdays, minimum charge is NT$300
March 24 to March 30 When Yang Bing-yi (楊秉彝) needed a name for his new cooking oil shop in 1958, he first thought of honoring his previous employer, Heng Tai Fung (恆泰豐). The owner, Wang Yi-fu (王伊夫), had taken care of him over the previous 10 years, shortly after the native of Shanxi Province arrived in Taiwan in 1948 as a penniless 21 year old. His oil supplier was called Din Mei (鼎美), so he simply combined the names. Over the next decade, Yang and his wife Lai Pen-mei (賴盆妹) built up a booming business delivering oil to shops and
Indigenous Truku doctor Yuci (Bokeh Kosang), who resents his father for forcing him to learn their traditional way of life, clashes head to head in this film with his younger brother Siring (Umin Boya), who just wants to live off the land like his ancestors did. Hunter Brothers (獵人兄弟) opens with Yuci as the man of the hour as the village celebrates him getting into medical school, but then his father (Nolay Piho) wakes the brothers up in the middle of the night to go hunting. Siring is eager, but Yuci isn’t. Their mother (Ibix Buyang) begs her husband to let
In late December 1959, Taiwan dispatched a technical mission to the Republic of Vietnam. Comprising agriculturalists and fisheries experts, the team represented Taiwan’s foray into official development assistance (ODA), marking its transition from recipient to donor nation. For more than a decade prior — and indeed, far longer during Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rule on the “mainland” — the Republic of China (ROC) had received ODA from the US, through agencies such as the International Cooperation Administration, a predecessor to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). More than a third of domestic investment came via such sources between 1951
For the past century, Changhua has existed in Taichung’s shadow. These days, Changhua City has a population of 223,000, compared to well over two million for the urban core of Taichung. For most of the 1684-1895 period, when Taiwan belonged to the Qing Empire, the position was reversed. Changhua County covered much of what’s now Taichung and even part of modern-day Miaoli County. This prominence is why the county seat has one of Taiwan’s most impressive Confucius temples (founded in 1726) and appeals strongly to history enthusiasts. This article looks at a trio of shrines in Changhua City that few sightseers visit.
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