Origin
Nanquan and Beiquan Zidixi culture in Linkou has a history of nearly 100 years. During the traditional agricultural times where people’s lives centered on local villages, people in Linkou used traditional Taiwanese Operas to bring people of all villages close together. Zidi Troupes were organizations for passing messages among villages. This tradition has been kept to the present day. There are currently nine Zidi clubs and they all belong to “the Beiquan and Nanquan Art Research Association of Linkou”. These clubs are highly united and perform in various major celebrations in order to exchange Beiquan and Nanquan music. For years, the city government, local township offices and Zidi clubs have worked together to organize Linkou Taiwanese Opera Cultural Festival. In 2009, the Beiquan Lelin Club was in charge of the festival. In 2010, Nanquan Yule Club was in charge. In 2011, the festival was expanded to include joint performances by all nine major clubs, schools and community groups. In 2012, the festival was co-organized by the local religious center “Zhulinshan Guanyin Temple”, combining traditional Taiwanese Opera with the local religious culture to promote the cooperation and interaction among local groups. This year, the township office and all clubs have decided to hold the main activity of the festival on the weekend before the birthday of Guanyin (the 19th day of the 9th Lunar Month), combining two major events of Linkou together so that it makes an even deeper impression on people. On other days, more intense promotion will be done on campus, offering chances to experience and learn Zidixi so that students and people in the communities are able to get to know, experience and appreciate the folk opera culture in the hopes of integrating more Zidixi resources, making the Nanquan and Beiquan art of New Taipei City significant highlights in Taiwan.
Activities
Improvements in music and drama skills of club members: The nine major Linkou clubs include features of both Nanquan and Beiquan music. This year, the artistic elements of music are highlighted – shows featuring suona horns, two-string fiddles and drums have been arranged. Professional instructors are invited to work on the club members’ singing and postures, sharpening their skills so that they are able to deliver higher-quality shows.
Promotion of Little Zidi on campus: Training clubs on campus so that the younger generation will better understand the cultural characteristics, development contexts and forms of performances of Zidixi. Through passing the culture on to the next generation, the young delegates for promoting Zidixi are nurtured.
Inheritance and Cultural Transmission – The Zidixi Cultural Exhibition: Expanding the range of the cultural survey to other areas of New Taipei City and displaying the Zidixi culture through interviewing the local elderly, coming up with themed subjects, linking with different areas, collecting artifacts, integrating resources and organizing themed exhibitions.
Experiencing Activities and The Community Culture Day: Mobilization of all folklore art resources to integrate the locals. Branches of all clubs in Linkou and villagers from all villages work together to organize a fair that displays the cultural characteristics of all communities, including community characteristics exhibition, folklore culture and Zidixi experiencing activities.
Zidixi Cultural Festival: Performances are brought by clubs and community universities, including the two-string fiddle convention, formation parades, divine general worshiping, Electric-Techno Neon Gods to stir up the festival, as well as suona horn performances, the little Zidixi performances brought by Jiabao Elementary School, performances brought by Lelin Club…etc.
Experiencing Activities: Guide how to play divine generals as well as teach divine generals’ steps. Introduce and demonstrate Nanquan and Beiquan musical instruments. Introduction of Zidixi scripts and singing are available. Face painting artists are invited to do makeup on people and activities to finish face puzzles while getting to know the relations of characters in the Taiwanese Operas are also offered.
The Celebration of Guanyin’s Birthday: The celebration of Zhulinshan Guanyin is held in different areas by turns. This year, it is organized by the Nanshipup Jiujiaotou (religious elite) which covers Nanshi, Dongshi, Hunan, Liyuan, Lilin, Renai, and part of Dingfukengtou. 20 “god pigs” will be included in the celebration.
