Taiwan Today

Left, top—Royal robes of Shang (1766-1122 B.C.) and Chou (1122-256 B.C.). King is at left with the pi jade symbol of political and religious authority used in worship of Heaven. Queen (center) holds jade tsung for worship of earth. Maid at right carries feathers that will be used in the ceremony. Left, bottom—A king of Confucius' time (around 500 B.C.) flanked by guards. Center—Dress of Wang Chao-chun, who kept the peace be-20 years in the first century B.C. She had been selected tween the Han dynasty and the Hsiung-nu barbarians for as a concubine of Emperor Yuan and failed to become his favorite only because she didn't bribe a court attendant. When the emperor finally saw her, she had already been betrothed to the Hun king and the emperor could not go back on his word. He made her a princess and sent her away. She pacified the Hsiung-nu by teaching them Chinese culture. In Chinese opera, she sings of her loneliness, accompanying herself on the lute. Right—Woman general's dress of Sung dynasty (960-1280). Liang Hung-yu was the wife of a general. When the Chin from Manchuria invaded the lands of Sung, she took command and repulsed them. This is another Chinese opera story.

These Costumes represent a wide range. Left, top—Mandarin couple of the Ch'ing dynasty (Manchus) of 1644-1911. Left, bottom—Mini and floor-length ch'i p'ao of today. Side slit of the mini version is modest of necessity. Center, top—Fei t'ien (sky flying) dance. It is based on cave paintings of about 1,500 years ago. The figure can be likened to an angel of Christianity. Right, bottom—Ribbon dance which flourished in the time of the Tang (618-907). In olden China, the ribbon was one of a girl's favorite ornamentations. Right, top—Dress is that of the early Republican period in this century. But the fan is as old as China, seemingly, and dances based on its use go back through the centuries and the dynasties. The dress of China was influenced by the Middle East and the north and in turn had an impact upon the Koreans and the Japanese. The kimono is a descendant of the full-sleeved gowns of very ancient Chinese times. Interestingly, the "pajamas" of the mainland are not worn in Taiwan but trousers for women have become popular with the import of slacks from the West. Ch'i p'ao are less in evidence these days.

Left, top—Dresses are those of the early Republican period shown in a dance to salute the Lunar New Year. Trousers and tunics for both men and women were an import from Arabia more than 2,000 years ago and are still seen in Hongkong and on the streets of overseas Chinese communities. Right, top—China's several minority peoples have their own colorful costumes and dances. Sinkiang contributes flare skirt, wide-sleeved blouse, bolero and boots for the girl and man's long coat worn over trousers. Boots are plain compared with the highly ornamented footwear of the girl. Left, bottom—Aborigine girls of Taiwan wear colorful ritual costume of mini-dress, apron, leggings and headdresses like those of American Indians but less ornate. No shoes are worn in the dance routines, which resemble those of the South Seas. The native peoples of the island are divided into nine tribes and have common ancestry with some of the peoples of the Philippines and Malaysia and the Polynesians. Right, bottom—Chinese classical orchestra that provides the music for the history of costume performance. The use of a Western-style conductor is an innovation. In olden times, the conductor was one of the musicians and he didn't do much more than give the downbeat. That is still the case with most of the small orchestras that provide the accompaniment for Chinese opera singers. Players wear the typical long gown, which is lightweight for summer and padded for the winter.

Chinese music has produced more than 100 instruments, of which some 40 are still in use. Top—Sheng (left), sometimes called the Chinese harmonica, and ti, a flute. The bamboo sheng is supposed to have been invented by Nu Wa, a mythical saintess-sovereign of some 5,000 years ago. The flute is credited to Huang Ti, the famed Yellow Emperor, who is said to have ruled for a century beginning in 2697 B.C. Center—Closer view of the sheng, showing mouthpiece and pipes. Bottom—Some of China's many string instruments. These are of the lute family; others are plucked or played with a bow. Percussion is also important in Chinese music, which has been called the foundation of government and expression of the accord between Heaven and earth. The notes of the pentatonic scale were compared to benevolence, righteousness, propriety, knowledge and faith. When the sixth and seventh notes were added to the scale some 2,500 years ago, the seven were compared to Heaven, earth, man and the four seasons. Confucius said: "If a man is not humane, what could he possibly have to do with music?"