The Taiwan Night Market Opera Culture Festival in 2025, which took place on May 18th (last Sunday), at the South Bay Overseas Chinese Education Center, attracted hundreds of people. The scene was filled with melodious opera music, the fragrance of night market snacks, and classic games that brought back childhood memories, all immersed in the rich local flavor of Taiwan.
The event was organized by the Taiwan Association of Northern California (TAFNC) and featured a special performance by a team of 20 students and teachers from the National Taiwan College of Traditional Opera’s Gezaixi and Music departments. They presented six classic and innovative opera pieces, including a flash mob Gezaixi, excerpts from classic operas such as “The Banquet” from “Sorrows of Not Seeing His Mother” and “A Closer Look of the Basin” from “Chin-Jiang’s Tower,” as well as performances from “Butterfly Lovers” and “Journey to the West,” including a rap-influenced finale.
The lively performances on stage featured graceful dances, colorful sleeves, and resounding drums and gongs. The actors delivered their lines with melodious tones, ancient lyrics, and elegant movements, bringing characters like the male lead, female lead, and clown to life with exquisite detail, showcasing the intricacies of traditional opera. The audience below was captivated and immersed in the unique charm of traditional opera, applauding and cheering enthusiastically, creating a warm and heartfelt atmosphere.
The event also included night market delicacies, traditional games, and folk art displays. Taiwanese favorites such as stir-fried rice noodles, minced pork rice, rice balls, mochi, sour plum soup, and pineapple cakes sold out quickly. Games like marble shooting, goldfish scooping, and ring tossing stirred up childhood memories, while the exhibition area showcased opera costumes, shoes, puppetry, Hakka clothing, and stage props, presenting the unique charm of Taiwan’s traditional arts and culture.
The event was attended by officials such as Lai Mingqi, Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, Chuang Ya-shu, Director of the Overseas Chinese Education Center, Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission members Chen Yangming, Li Yuanlin, Zhang Zhengbang, and Liu Lingxia, as well as representatives from Congressman Ro Khanna’s office, TAP-SF President Zhu Guancheng, and Dr. Andrew T. Huang, founder of TaiwaneseAmerican.org.
Lai Mingqi expressed hope to bring Gezaixi performances to Union Square in San Francisco in the future, allowing more Americans to experience the charm of Taiwan’s traditional theater. Chuang Ya-shu, on behalf of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission Chairman Hsu Chia-ching, presented a certificate of appreciation, acknowledging the event’s success and emphasizing its significance in promoting Taiwan to mainstream society and the overseas Chinese community. Deputy Chairman of the Association, Chen Chen-chi, expressed gratitude to the volunteers and community supporters for their months of preparation leading to a successful event.
Program Director Liu Lingxia stated that the event attracted over five to six hundred participants, with the morning session being completely full, and food items selling out before noon. She highlighted the popularity of the newly introduced “Gezaixi Experience Course,” where children eagerly participated in learning basic skills such as the movements of male and female lead characters from professional actors, allowing the next generation to be exposed to Taiwanese culture from a young age, leaving a lasting impression.
The performance team arrived in the United States on the 16th and returned to Taiwan on the 20th, during which they visited places like Stanford University, the Kinmen Bridge, and Fisherman’s Wharf. Department head Chen Meng-liang of the Traditional Opera Department mentioned that it had been 25 years since his last performance in the U.S., and this time leading the team had brought about many emotions. The warm welcome from the overseas compatriots deeply touched the students, leaving them with fond memories.
Professor Qiu Qiuhui, who played the role of Wang Baochuan, expressed that Gezaixi had become a significant cultural asset in Taiwan. The government has recently initiated various talent cultivation and audience expansion programs, such as the “Gezaixi Goes to Schools” campaign, encouraging broad public participation and ensuring that culture truly takes root. The bright prospects for future development are promising.
Students Chen Shuhan (as Xue Pinggui and Tang Seng) and Yang Jialun (as Xu Xian and Sun Wukong) who performed abroad for the first time, described the experience as fresh and exciting, considering it a precious opportunity.
Traveling all the way from Columbus, Ohio to the Bay Area to watch the performance, Huang Shuzhen and Lai Tengying spent thousands of dollars and endured a flight of over five hours, all to witness the Gezaixi from Taiwan.
Huang Shuzhen shared that Gezaixi is a cultural treasure with profound knowledge and artistic value. She stated, “It’s not about the money but our love for Taiwanese culture; this performance is truly worthwhile!” Hearing the Taiwanese opera sung in Hokkien and the portrayal of historical stories deeply moved her.
Reminiscing about his childhood, Lai Tengying recalled going to temples to watch opera performances with a small stool in hand. He marveled at how Gezaixi evolved from local temple stages to formal training in academies and international tours, feeling pleasantly surprised and satisfied. He remarked, “This is Taiwan’s own culture that we grew up with. In the past, some things we saw were from China (mainland), and it felt like those things did not belong to us.”
Mr. Greg, an audience member from the United States, shared that he visits Taiwan for three to four months every year to watch traditional operas such as Gezaixi, Beiguan, Peking Opera, and Teahouse Opera. He particularly loves Gezaixi, praising the professionalism of Taiwanese actors and how their performances touched his heart, hoping for more opportunities to see such shows in America.
Mr. Chen from Jiangsu, watching Gezaixi live for the first time, mentioned that he had only experienced traditional operas through television or scripts before. Seeing the actors’ expressions and delicate singing up close was truly impressive for him. Especially when he heard the lyrics “leaving home for the ideal,” he felt deeply moved and said, “It’s quite touching.”