Taiwanese drag queen Nymphia Wind is to attend the Paris Cultural Olympiad, performing Formosan Follies at the Taiwan Pavilion.
She has said the show would introduce Taiwan to the international stage in resplendent fashion.
On April 19, the 28-year-old became the first Taiwanese and first East Asian to be crowned the “Next Drag Superstar” in the globally acclaimed reality television series RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Photo courtesy of MTV via CNA
Nymphia is the drag persona of Leo Tsao (曹米駬), who goes by he/him in everyday life, but she/her when in drag.
Nymphia would be performing as part of the pavilion’s “Taiwan and France” theme at the Cultural Olympiad, an artistic celebration of the Summer Olympics in Paris, the Ministry of Culture said.
The other themes are “Voice of Freedom,” “Island Elegance” and “Cultural Exchanges Between.”
In a recent interview, Nymphia said that her performance would incorporate scenes from Taiwan with Paris-inspired “follies.”
The show is to feature an all-Taiwanese cast and another drag queen.
Nymphia and her drag family, the “House of Wind,” had already been invited to perform at the Cultural Olympiad before she appeared on international television.
She said it was an opportunity she could not refuse.
However, she said she found it challenging to properly portray Taiwan in a performance lasting only 30 minutes.
Much of the creative process involved waiting for inspiration on how to present the show, she said.
Nymphia said it was “significant” to showcase Taiwan, whether on RuPaul’s Drag Race or the Cultural Olympiad, because it is a small nation that does not receive much attention in international politics.
It is sometimes hard to establish a national position for Taiwan, because discussion “always focuses on whether we are Taiwanese or Chinese,” she said.
On top of that, Taiwan consists of multiple ethnic groups, while lacking a strong national identity, she said.
Nymphia said she is “very honored to be able to introduce Taiwan as a drag queen,” because members of the LGBTQ+ community often face societal pressure, confusion regarding their identity and have an urge to express their true selves — all aspects that are similar to Taiwan’s international experience.
Regarding gender issues in Taiwan, diverse opinions are being heard and society is becoming more inclusive, she said.
It would be the first time Taiwan has participated in the Cultural Olympiad under the “Taiwan Pavilion” banner, the ministry said, adding that 22 teams and more than 120 people would make presentations.
The pavilion at Parc de la Villette in Paris is to host three to five performances every day from July 27 to Aug. 10 to showcase Taiwanese arts and culture, the ministry said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
RSS