Wood Carving and face painting art inception in Taiwan

Written by Mdlovu, edited by TLAA

    Most of the various forms of traditional opera that exist in Taiwan have their origins in China. These folk opera styles were brought to Taiwan by immigrants that include the Hakka immigrants. 

   By 1945, folk opera was the most significant form of entertainment for the people of Taiwan. As folk opera styles spread, they integrated elements from local musical traditions, generating new forms of performing arts that varied from the originals. 

Woodcarving-wood plaques

    This was the case with Chinese folk opera styles that were brought to Taiwan; variances in the spatial and temporal environment led to the advancement of new varieties of performing arts with a strongly local character. 

    For example, China’s Liyuan xi (“Pear Garden Opera”) evolved into Taiwan’s Nanguan Opera; after being brought to Taiwan, China’s Jiujia xi was influenced by Taiwan’s Beiguan xi, creating a new form of folk opera significantly different from the Chinese original; the introduction of Chinese puppet theatre into Taiwan was followed by fusions with Beiguan, Nanguan and Chaozhou Opera, which created new styles of puppetry performance unique to Taiwan. Because the owners, Mr. Lin Wenyuan and his wife, Peng Feiyu, admired face painting in Beijing opera and have over the years devoted themselves to the research and painting of the art, they have changed their classes from woodcarving skills for beginners to impromptu painting suitable for the public, especially families. 

Woodcarving-various mixed-media portraits

   The museum offers easy and fun classes such as mask and magnetic firefly painting, as well as personalized clay statues, various mixed-media portraits, and wood plaques, all of which are designed to increase the public’s interest in the art of woodcarving.