Cherishing our blessings – Hakka opera gives thanks

Forty or fifty years ago, following the busy autumn harvest each year, Hakka villages would invite drama troupes to perform Hakka opera as an offering to the gods. Such events were not only a way to celebrate the harvest festival but also allowed villagers to let their hair down and have some fun. So at any temple drama, you could be sure to find a throng of adults and children sitting on stools under the temple awning, waiting for the sound of the drums to herald the start of the performance.

Sadly, today, traditional Chinese opera is already in great decline and performances usually attract only a few old people, sometimes no one at all – such performances really are for the gods alone! 

This year, Taoyuan Department of Hakka Affairs and Hsi Fu Temple cooperated to host the Hakka Cultural Festival, at which a dozen traditional Hakka dramas were performed. Organizers hope that the event will be able to attract large crowds and introduce more people to the fun of traditional Hakka opera.

以下為中英文對照

四五十年前，客家農村每到秋收農忙結束後，都會請戲班來演客家戲曲酬神，一方面是慶祝豐收，一方面也是放鬆娛樂，只要一有廟坪演大戲，大人小孩搬張凳子，就坐到戲棚下，等著鑼鼓聲響起的演出。

   時至今日，傳統戲曲已經式微，請來傳統戲班演出，觀眾以老者居多且寥寥無幾，甚至沒有，真的是演給神明看的。

   桃園市府客家事務局和鍚福宮共同合作客家文化節，演出十幾場的客家文化傳統大戲，希望能夠帶動人潮，讓更多人認識客家傳統戲曲。