On July 2, 2025, the National Center for Traditional Arts under the Ministry of Culture announced the list of nominees for the 36th Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts and Music, along with the recipients of the Special Awards. Ms. Lin Wu Su-Xia, a preserver of Nanguan opera—an important traditional performing art recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of Taichung City—was honored with a Special Award. The award ceremony will take place on August 23, 2025. The Taichung City Government takes great pride in this recognition and extends its heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Lin Wu for her dedication to the promotion of traditional performing arts.
According to the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Nanguan music was introduced to Taiwan from Fujian and initially gained popularity in the Penghu area, followed by Chiayi, and later saw the establishment of performance halls in the Lukang region of Changhua. Nanguan masters were invited to teach vocal performance and instrumental techniques. Prior to the period of Japanese rule, Nanguan opera in Taiwan was primarily performed in the style of “Xiaoliyuan” (performed mostly by children), with a repertoire focused mainly on romantic narratives. During the period of Japanese rule, Nanguan opera underwent gradual reform, incorporating martial elements and replacing local dialects with vernacular Chinese. These changes gave rise to opera troupes specializing in Jiujia Opera or Baizi Opera.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau noted that Nanguan opera is a treasured traditional performing art of Taichung City and was designated as an Important Traditional Performing Art by the Ministry of Culture as early as 2010. Ms. Lin Wu Su-Xia is recognized as the preserver of Nanguan opera, an important cultural heritage. As a Living National Treasure, Ms. Lin Wu stands out as one of the few distinguished artists in Nanguan opera. Even more commendably, she has remained deeply committed to the teaching and promotion of Nanguan opera.
According to the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ms. Lin Wu Su-Xia was born into a family deeply rooted in Nanguan music. She began learning Nanguan under the guidance of her father, Wu Tsai-Chuan, at the age of four. After decades of rigorous training and practice, she has become highly proficient in Nanguan instruments, vocal styles, and opera performance, and is also skilled in repertoire arrangement. In 1993, she founded the He-He Arts Ensemble, through which she has long dedicated herself to the teaching and transmission of Nanguan opera and music in Taichung City as one of the key preservers of Taichung’s intangible cultural heritage. In 2023, the He-He Arts Ensemble, under her leadership, received the Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts and Music in the “Best Traditional Music Album” category. Two years later, Ms. Lin Wu has been honored with the Special Award, a recognition not only of her personal achievements, but also of her longstanding contributions to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage in Taichung, which are truly invaluable.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau further noted that Taichung City continues to organize annual Nanguan music and opera training and outreach programs, with Ms. Lin Wu Su-Xia herself leading the He-He Arts Ensemble in actively cultivating the next generation of performers. This year’s opera training showcase is scheduled for Sunday, October 26 at 2:00 p.m. at the Performing Arts Hall (B01) of the Cultural Heritage Park under the Ministry of Culture. The music performance showcase is set for Sunday, November 23 at 2:00 p.m. at Hengdao Hall in the same venue. The public is warmly invited to attend and experience the beauty of traditional performing arts. For more information, please visit the website of the Cultural Heritage Department of Taichung City (https://www.tchac.taichung.gov.tw/.)