Li Ching-chao Private Theater Sentimental Movement Faction "Hsiang-lan Tu" (《湘蘭圖》)｜2026 Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts Exhibition

"Hsiang-lan" is the style name of Ma Shou-chen (馬守真), a renowned 16th-century Chinese female artist. The elegant orchids and bamboo she painted with her brush spread fragrance on paper, with orchids being the most vivid, hence her nickname "Hsiang-lan." <i>Hsiang-lan Tu</i> takes as its starting point a painting titled "Orchid, Bamboo, and Rock" (蘭竹石圖) now housed in the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands. The entire play's story develops based on this female artist's life, inscriptions on her paintings, and related critical literature, attempting to reconstruct a long-lost "Hsiang-lan Tu." This production was selected for the "Cool Collective Theater" (酷集劇場) Million Launch Project of the Ku Kung-liang (辜公亮) Cultural and Educational Foundation and premiered in 2022 after the pandemic. A live performance music album was released in 2024. In 2025, it was nominated for two awards at the 36th Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts. On November 4 of the same year, it was invited by the Taiwan Chapter of the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) to perform at the Globe Theater (球劇場) of the Taipei Performing Arts Center (北藝中心) for its 30th anniversary celebration. This encore performance, met with acclaim, recreates Li Ching-chao Private Theater's unique original jazz-infused opera style.