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Folk parade culture writes new chapter in Kaohsiung

Post date:2017-03-11
Update:2017-05-08
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The much anticipated 2017 Taiwan Creative Songjiang Parade Contest for High School, Vocational School and College Students just came to an end a while ago in Neimen, Kaohsiung. The National University of Tainan won the championship and received an NT$1 million cash prize, along with an honorary “Seal of King.” The second to four places were respectively taken by the Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, I-Shou University, and Shih Chien University. Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chu thanked all of the participating students, members of the local temples, martial arts studios, communities, and school teachers and principals for supporting the city’s folk parade culture. Without their devotion, the historic Songjiang Parade wouldn’t have been revived in the past 17 years.

The contest is the most popular of all the activities held during the parade period. Having passed cut-throat preliminaries, six teams from around the country competed for championship. The National University of Tainan had been the champion in the last two years. This year the university gathered up more than 70 students from its folk performing team and the theatre department to take part in the contest, and finally won the champion’s million-dollar prize the third time, becoming the third school which wins three champions in a row, after Shih Chien University and the National Taiwan College of Performing Arts.

The contest was not just open to audience members on site, but was also broadcast live on TV. At the final competition held today, each team went out of their ways to show their best. Quite a few teams gave shows that were completely different from the ones they gave in the preliminaries. To win the million dollars, all of the teams used their most daring tricks and finest parade dance to amaze the audience, who responded with non-stop applauses. The teams have truly instilled energy and youth into Taiwan’s folk parade culture.

The students of National Siluo Agricultural Industrial High School showed the spirit of Qikan in Yunlin. They used solid martial arts skills to do Songjiang Parade, bringing out its strength and beauty. The students from Da-Yeh University in Changhua showed off advanced cheer-leading techniques by throwing teammates up high, in addition to some youthful, creative dance. The students of the Lunghwa University of Science and Technology gave a unique parade that brings drumming and modern martial arts together, as they told the story of King of Ducks Chu Yi-Kui. The students of I-Shou University from Kaohsiung brought to the audience an impressive Bagua Parade inspired by the 24 Festive Drums of Malaysia and Taiwan’s Songjiang Parade. Former champion Shih Chien University presented the story of Chinese heroine Hua Mu-lan through a beautiful combination of martial arts, drumming, traditional Chinese music, Nanquan (a kind of southern Chinese martial arts), flag dance and dragon dance, while touting Songjiang’s defense spirit and Chinese filial piety. The much anticipated National Tainan University, which was the champion in the last two years, brought together Neimen Township’s folk beliefs, Ziyun Temple’s rain-invocation dance, and early defensive martial arts for a fine Songjiang show, using elements such as dragons, lions and boats. National Tainan University won the jurors’ acknowledgement, bringing home the million dollars and the third Seal of King.

Kaohsiung Mayer Chen Chu noted on the award ceremony that she was happy to see folk culture being passed down by the students through their wonderful performances. She was even happier to see that the audience responded with rounds of applauses, because this means that tradition has been integrated into youth culture well, and that the public highly acknowledges such creative presentations of Songjiang Parade. She is confident that Neimen’s folk parade culture will continue to touch more people. The mayor thanked the kind assistance from temple members, community residents, and school staffers. Special thanks were paid to the “little guides” who explained to visitors the background of this international tourist event. Lastly, Mayor Chen encouraged the participating students to practice the Songjiang spirit in their lives.
Folk parade culture writes new chapter in Kaohsiung
Folk parade culture writes new chapter in Kaohsiung2
Folk parade culture writes new chapter in Kaohsiung3
Folk parade culture writes new chapter in Kaohsiung4
Folk parade culture writes new chapter in Kaohsiung5
Folk parade culture writes new chapter in Kaohsiung6
Folk parade culture writes new chapter in Kaohsiung7
Folk parade culture writes new chapter in Kaohsiung8
Folk parade culture writes new chapter in Kaohsiung9
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