The Root of a Vagabond Troupe

In 1949, as Chinese Civil War was raging, Chang Shiou-Yun followed her husband to escape from the attack of the communist. Fled on foot from her hometown Henan Province, crossed the border to Vietnam, and finally, she retreated along with the defeated army to Taiwan by sea. 1300 kilometers away from her hometown Henan, she had nothing but a skill that had been passed down over centuries – Yu Opera(Opera of Henan), which is also called Banzi.
Settled down by the harbor, Chang met Wang Hai-ling, who was eight years old at the time. Chang passed down all her skills to Wang. The moment when Wang Hai-ling appeared on the stage with her sparkling eyes and flexible performance, the crowd went wild for her. Especially for the military dependents who shared the same experience of fleeing from China to Taiwan due to the war, they were deeply moved when hearing songs from their home. Since then, Wang Hai-ling has led BangZi Opera Troupe to become one of the most popular opera Troupes in Taiwan.
However, as the time passing by and soldiers fading away, more and more people feel the need to hear more Taiwanese voices coming from this island. Consequently, the Yu Opera from thousands of miles away is gradually forgotten by people. But to Wang Hai-ling and her BangZi Opera Troupe, this is a beginning of an era. They start to transform traditional costumes and acting techniques of Henan Banzi, and explore all kinds of repertoires. As a result, modern Banzi and Banzi for children appear, and even the adaptation of Shakespeare’s plays into Banzi took the international stage.
On this land, they have spent seventy years to grow their own voice, a voice that belongs to Taiwan Banzi.