2017 Taichung Arts Festival will be held grandly from October 15 to December 31. This year, the themes is the “story of Taichung.” There will be more than 200 activities presented to you at more than 50 venues in the mountain, sea, Tun, and central districts. This vivid and diverse arts festival is specially catered for you all. The sponsor has selected 26 top local and international performance groups to perform their shows. All of the tickets will be for sale at Arts Ticket starting from August 11. And there will be a 30% discount for early bird tickets by September 3.

Lin Yi-ying, the Deputy Mayor of Taichung, and Wang Chi-cheng, the Director of Cultural Affairs Bureau, attended the press conference on the 10th, and invited people to join this grand arts festival together. Deputy Mayor Lin expressed that she takes pleasure to see the 3rd anniversary of Taichung Arts Festival. In this year, there will be more than 200 performances from October 15 to December 31. In addition to top local and international performance group, they also collaborated with National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO) to feature the “Musical of Taichung History.” There are still many more exciting programs for enthusiastic people. She hopes they can buy the early bird tickets at big discount, and to help promote arts and music industry.

“This city is really like a flower,” Deputy Mayor Lin pointed out. Taichung has already become the second largest city in Taiwan. In addition to the growth in population, the city government also expects for blend arts into people’s daily life with the sponsoring of the Taichung Arts Festival every year to make life more vivid, exciting, and colorful.

Director Wang expressed that in this year the opening show for Taichung Arts Festival will demonstrate local culture. Especially, the city government is going to collaborate the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra to present the story of Taichung. And the other performance group will perform shows with the story of Taichung and Taichung World Flora Exposition as the core. It not only promotes the arts and literary atmosphere in Taichung but also warm up the 2018 Taichung World Flora Expo. In this year, there will be more than 200 performances presented at more than 50 places in the mountain, sea, Tun, and city districts to make arts diverse and culture equal. This is also the idea insisted by Lin Chia-lung, the Mayor of Taichung City.

At the same time, the city government is also eager to cultivate residents’ concepts of cultural consumption. Therefore, there were 10 performances in the first Taichung Arts Festival. It increased into 21 last year. This year, there will be more than 26. We can see that Taichung residents are beginning to have the idea that it is necessary to buy tickets in order to enjoy quality performances. It is positive and beneficial to the development of arts. It is hoped that as Taichung has emerged into the second largest city in Taiwan, residents can have their tastes in arts promoted.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau expressed in last early bird tickets of 21 selected performances were sold, receiving high praises. In this year, they are going to expand the scope to present 26 shows for 3 months. There are many top performance groups including international renowned group, Metro Vocal Group, and famous Taiwanese groups, Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group – the major group, Diablo Dance Theater, Comedians Workshop, Wenhe Legendary Theater Troupe, and more. There are also top performance groups from Taichung, including Chio-Tian Folk Drums and Arts Troupe, Taiwan Youth Orchestra, Acme Physical Theater, Taichung Chamber Choir, Da Du Shan Tong Ren Tang Lion Dance Art Troupe, and more. In total, there will be 22 performances.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau pointed out that this year Taichung Arts Festival regards the “Story of Taichung” as the theme. A new musical, a story about the life of the explorer of Taichung – Chang Da-jing in the 17th and 18th century, is composed and orchestrated by the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra. It introduces the exploration, construction, and agriculture of the city. Then, the prosperity and modernization of Taichung art articulated. This story is told in the manner of the conversation over the past 300 years. Viewing the present from the past, the past the also examined from the perspectives of now. It will be presented to you at the National Taichung Theater on October 21.

On October 22, the international renowned Metro Vocal Group, a four-people a cappella group, and Guess What, the winner of the 28th Golden Melody Award for Best Vocal Collaboration will perform together at Chung Shan Hall, Taichung City. Coming from the US, Metro Vocal Group, a four-person a cappella group emerged in the music circle rapidly lately. With superb arrangement skills, they arrange titles into a cappella from popular repertoires, and re-interpret them will their beautiful voices.

The performance on October 22, it is a collaborative program presented by Cultural Affairs Bureau and Local Tax Bureau Taichung City. They are going to provide 500 charity tickets. People can exchange 1 ticket on the 1st floor with 40 uniform invoices or 30 e-uniform invoices from July to August at the value of NT$5 or above. They can also exchange 1 ticket on the 2nd floor with 30 uniform invoices or 20 e-uniform invoices. Each person is eligible to exchange for 2 tickets the maximum. Tickets can be exchanged on August 11, 14, and 15 at Dongshan Branch, Local Tax Bureau. With limited amount only; first come, first served. For more information about the tickets, please call 04-22329735ext. 305 or 0800-086969.

Other than the early bird tickets, there will be many discount options for people buying tickets to various shows or many tickets to one show. In Taichung Arts Festival this year, there are special offer packages, including super value, one-person, and group tickets sold at the discounts of 20% off and 10% off. For further enquiry about ticket purchase, please visit the official website of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Taichung City Government http://www.culture.taichung.gov.tw/main.aspx