Theater
2026 Refined Hakka Grand Opera Performance: Rong Hsing Hakka Tea-Picking Troupe (榮興客家採茶劇團) "When the Gongs Sound (銅鑼響起時)"
A single treaty made the gongs ring out a decision,
Building a Great Wall of the era at the foot of Bagua Mountain.
A turn from the pen to the sword,
A bloody battle fought for home and land;
The story of Wu Tang-hsing (吳湯興) begins with the sound of gongs from his hometown.
[Synopsis]
After the defeat in the Sino-Japanese War, Taiwan was forced to be ceded. Amid political turmoil, leaders fleeing inland, and public anxiety, the local gentry Wu Tang-hsing faced a crucial choice: to seek self-preservation in adversity, or to stand up and defend the land?
He ultimately made his decision among family, property, and beliefs, gathering righteous men at the Tongluo Tianhou Temple to swear an oath of resistance against Japan. In dozens of days of fierce fighting, allies fell one after another, military supplies and rations were cut off, and he had to bid a final farewell to his loved ones, cutting his hair and entrusting his child before heading south wounded.
In the Battle of Bagua Mountain in August 1895, Wu Tang-hsing abandoned any retreat and launched a counterattack from the mountaintop. Despite the vast disparity in forces, he chose to fight on with a solitary courage that knew the impossible. In the end, he defended his ideals with his life, demonstrating a spirit of unrepentant choice and unyielding resolve!
[About Rong Hsing Hakka Tea-Picking Troupe]
The "Rong Hsing Hakka Tea-Picking Troupe" was founded in 1988 by Professor Cheng Jung-hsing (鄭榮興), carrying on the artistic ideals of his grandmother, the famous 1950s performer Cheng Mei-mei (鄭美妹). Since 1998, Ms. Cheng Yueh-ching (鄭月景) has served as troupe leader, establishing a "fresh and elegant" aesthetic style and continuously producing repertoire suitable for all ages.
The troupe deeply cultivates talent development through the "Hakka Opera Talent Training Program" to ensure generational传承. In 2008, it became the preservation group for "Tea-Picking Opera" under Miaoli County's "Intangible Cultural Heritage" traditional arts category. Professor Cheng Jung-hsing was also registered by the Ministry of Culture in 2021 as a preserver (also known as a "National Living Treasure") of the important traditional performing art "Hakka Eight Tones (客家八音)".
As a model of Taiwanese Hakka opera, the troupe has performed at national-level theaters 23 times, received 50 Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts nominations since 2014, and won 15 awards including "Best Annual Troupe Performance Award," achieving remarkable results.
Admission: Free tickets required. Starting 9/4 (Fri), please inquire at the Miaobei service counter. Limit of 4 tickets per person, while supplies last.
Building a Great Wall of the era at the foot of Bagua Mountain.
A turn from the pen to the sword,
A bloody battle fought for home and land;
The story of Wu Tang-hsing (吳湯興) begins with the sound of gongs from his hometown.
[Synopsis]
After the defeat in the Sino-Japanese War, Taiwan was forced to be ceded. Amid political turmoil, leaders fleeing inland, and public anxiety, the local gentry Wu Tang-hsing faced a crucial choice: to seek self-preservation in adversity, or to stand up and defend the land?
He ultimately made his decision among family, property, and beliefs, gathering righteous men at the Tongluo Tianhou Temple to swear an oath of resistance against Japan. In dozens of days of fierce fighting, allies fell one after another, military supplies and rations were cut off, and he had to bid a final farewell to his loved ones, cutting his hair and entrusting his child before heading south wounded.
In the Battle of Bagua Mountain in August 1895, Wu Tang-hsing abandoned any retreat and launched a counterattack from the mountaintop. Despite the vast disparity in forces, he chose to fight on with a solitary courage that knew the impossible. In the end, he defended his ideals with his life, demonstrating a spirit of unrepentant choice and unyielding resolve!
[About Rong Hsing Hakka Tea-Picking Troupe]
The "Rong Hsing Hakka Tea-Picking Troupe" was founded in 1988 by Professor Cheng Jung-hsing (鄭榮興), carrying on the artistic ideals of his grandmother, the famous 1950s performer Cheng Mei-mei (鄭美妹). Since 1998, Ms. Cheng Yueh-ching (鄭月景) has served as troupe leader, establishing a "fresh and elegant" aesthetic style and continuously producing repertoire suitable for all ages.
The troupe deeply cultivates talent development through the "Hakka Opera Talent Training Program" to ensure generational传承. In 2008, it became the preservation group for "Tea-Picking Opera" under Miaoli County's "Intangible Cultural Heritage" traditional arts category. Professor Cheng Jung-hsing was also registered by the Ministry of Culture in 2021 as a preserver (also known as a "National Living Treasure") of the important traditional performing art "Hakka Eight Tones (客家八音)".
As a model of Taiwanese Hakka opera, the troupe has performed at national-level theaters 23 times, received 50 Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts nominations since 2014, and won 15 awards including "Best Annual Troupe Performance Award," achieving remarkable results.
Admission: Free tickets required. Starting 9/4 (Fri), please inquire at the Miaobei service counter. Limit of 4 tickets per person, while supplies last.
Event Details
- 2026-09-18 — 苗栗縣苗北藝文中心