When the National Central Ballet of Beijing became one of the first mainland performing troupes to appear in Taiwan in 1992, many of the company’s directors and senior dancers were eager to tell reporters how enthusiastic they were about the trip. Although they had toured throughout the world, for many this was the first time they would be performing for a Chinese audience outside the mainland. It was an audience they felt would be able to fully appreciate their efforts to incorporate Chinese themes in their work. One of the company directors was also generous in her praise of promoter Hsu Po-yun (許博允), director of the International New Aspect Cultural and Educational Foundation that was sponsoring the troupe’s local performances. “We should really be thankful for this man,” she said, “he has done more for cultural exchange between Taiwan and the mainland than anyone!”
Although the dancer’s claim was politely exaggerated, she made an important point. Private promoters and arts agents like Hsu have played a vital role in the development of cross-Straits cultural exchange. No matter how liberal government policies might have become, Taiwan audiences would not be seeing so many mainland performers if it weren’t for the behind-the-scenes work of such people.
The government has largely avoided direct involvement in inviting mainland performers to Taiwan. Other than setting regulations and guidelines, and providing limited funding, it prefers to keep cultural contact on a private rather than an official level, in keeping with its overall mainland policy. And because all of the island’s major theaters are government-run, they also shy away from acting as sponsors for mainland performers. The theaters prefer to simply rent out their facilities to the promoters that invite mainland troupes to perform here.
While some individual mainland performers are invited by schools or by local orchestras or opera troupes; nearly all of the eighty mainland performing companies that have come to Taiwan since the government relaxed restrictions on cultural exchange in June 1992 have arrived with the aid of a private organization. These troupes have represented a wide variety of performing arts, including dance, music, opera, drama, acrobatics, and puppetry.
New Aspect’s lineup for this year includes the Shanghai Kun Opera Theater, which features one of the oldest types of Chinese opera, and the People’s Art Theater of Beijing, a Western-style drama company. Two other promotion companies are also major players: The Ars Formosa Co., which has sponsored the renowned China Beijing Opera Theater and the colorful Singing and Dancing Troupe of Yunnan Nationalities; and the Master Arts Promotion Co., which this year is featuring the Central Ensemble of Chinese Music, the mainland’s premier traditional orchestra, and the Hubei Huangmei Opera Theater, known for its unique brand of regional opera.
In addition, about ten other agents as well as a number of private foundations and arts associations, are also competing for a piece of the mainland performance pie. These entrepreneurs have been motivated by a mixture of money-making venturism, artistic concerns, and broader idealism—but they have also had to battle with fickle audiences, major financial responsibilities, and complicated government regulations.
Promoters began pursuing mainland acts even before the ban was officially lifted. With each gradual loosening of restrictions, they have jumped at the new opportunities. In mid-1987, for example, they took advantage of a ruling that opened the door to individual mainland performers who had relatives in Taiwan or had lived outside the mainland for more than five years. Another break came in late 1988, when the government began allowing visits by mainland artists who were considered “outstanding talents,” the criteria being that they had won a national award or received a special artistic classification from the mainland’s Ministry of Culture.
But managing performances by any of these early visitors was tricky. The government still maintained a number of restrictions. For example, no more than two mainland performers could appear together on stage, and—most difficult for promoters—they could not take part in any profit-making activities. “It was not practical because we were not allowed to sell tickets to their performances,” explains Chou Tun-rern (周敦仁), general manager of Ars Formosa.
Arts agents, however, knew an audience was there, eager to see mainland artists on the stage. They occasionally managed to get around the rules in creative ways. For example, a promoter might feature a mainland performer on one or two nights of an opera season and “give away” tickets for those nights to anyone who bought a ticket for another night.
New Aspect director Hsu Po-yun went even further. When he brought award-winning pianist Li Jian (李堅) to Taiwan in September 1989, he did not charge admission to the performances, but he required anyone attending to purchase a program guide. Concertgoers willingly obliged and the turnout was good. In January 1991, the government began allowing promoters to sell tickets to mainland acts.
Having seen strong interest among local audiences, promoters were quick to make the most of the new market as soon as the government gave the official go ahead for mainland performances in June 1992. The new ruling paved the way for orchestras and other large performing troupes to visit. The first groups arrived that August, and eighteen mainland troupes had performed at theaters across the island within the next twelve months.
One of the most attractive reasons for inviting mainland groups was their novelty. During the previous four decades of separation, people in Taiwan were not allowed to travel to the mainland, and had limited access to mainland publications and films, yet they spent much time in school learning about the continent and their Chinese heritage. Once travel restrictions were relaxed beginning in 1987, mainland China soon became one of the hottest destinations for Taiwan travelers. The same pent-up curiosity was translated into good box office returns for shows by mainland artists. The early performances nearly always drew full-house crowds. They attracted many people who were not regular theater-goers simply because of their historical significance.
Many of the shows also offered a departure from the usual cultural offerings found locally. “The performing arts in Taiwan and mainland China are complementary,” Chou Tun-rern explains. “Taiwan is more modern in its artistic orientation, while mainland China is better at preserving the traditional arts.” This difference has become one of the basic guidelines for helping promoters decide which mainland acts to bring. While the mainland offers some high quality Western-style groups, for example ballet companies and classical orchestras, most promoters prefer those companies that highlight Chinese heritage. “We like to invite ethnic groups or really outstanding troupes in the traditional performing arts,” Chou says. “This way we can expand the audience’s horizon. As for ballet and Western music, we will invite dancers and musicians from other countries.”
Despite the unique offerings, the box office for mainland performances began to drop after the first-year flurry. For one thing, the novelty was simply wearing off, especially with so many mainland acts appearing. The Qiandao Lake incident of 1994, in which twenty-four Taiwan tourists were murdered in a robbery while visiting the mainland, also left many people reluctant to support mainland performances. In fact, the incident severely strained ties between the two sides, leading to a five-month suspension of any government sponsorship for cultural exchange. Many promoters also canceled mainland shows during this time.
After this ban was lifted, audiences remained less enthusiastic than they had been initially. One reason was a general recession in box office revenues for performances of all kinds. The number of shows had increased considerably during this period, creating a general glut in the performing arts market and, according to Chou of Ars Formosa, an average 10 to 20 percent reduction in audiences for all shows.
But the audience for mainland troupes has continued to decline even more, from 20 to 30 percent, promoters say, and many of the performances now lose money. “First of all, there has been no market for folk artists in Taiwan since people’s curiosity was satisfied,” says Daniel Keng (耿繼光), president of Master Arts. “Then came the Qiandao Lake incident. It made people feel guilty to watch mainland performances.” On top of all this, he says, many groups from the mainland offer limited variety in their programs. Hsu Po-yun has found that certain types of mainland shows sell worse than others. “All acrobatic troupes are a total loss,” he says. “The situation for ethnic music and dance is so-so, and the operas enjoy the best box office.”
Michael Lee (李炎), director of the National Theater and Concert Hall, which has hosted many mainland acts, has also witnessed the decline. “Generally speaking, a troupe is welcome at its first series of performances in Taiwan; then the situation gets worse and worse,” he says. But Lee feels that other foreign troupes as well as local ones often suffer the same fate, and that the reason is more of a supply-and-demand problem than a matter of quality. “With so many choices,” he says, “the audience has been spoiled.”
Making matters more difficult, promoters are often faced with a greater financial burden when sponsoring mainland groups than with most other foreign groups, especially those from Europe or the United States. Those coming from the mainland simply have fewer resources. The local agent must pay the roundtrip airfare for the entire troupe, a cost that is generally not covered by an arts promoter, in addition to the usual expenses such as inland transportation, accommodations, and performance fees. Furthermore, promoters must give a per diem to each troupe member of US$30 to $40. “You never know beforehand how much you’ll have to spend on a mainland troupe,” Keng says.
In order to meet expenses, arts agents try to balance out financially risky programs with sure-selling attractions. Keng’s big moneymaker this year, for example, was a concert by British pop singer Phil Collins. Promoters also seek outside funds to help support their mainland performances, often from private corporations and media groups. But corporate sponsorship of the arts is still a relatively new idea in Taiwan, although promoters do have a better chance of attracting donations for mainland acts.
Funds are also available from the Council for Cultural Planning and Development (CCPD) and the quasi-private Straits Exchange Foundation, but on a limited basis. Keng says that funding from the CCPD has slackened this year because the council is now spending more on grassroots projects such as improving the cultural environment in local communities. Making matters worse, the money that is available must now be divided among a growing number of performances. Other government budgets have been set aside for cross-Straits exchange, but these go mainly toward helping local troupes fund tours to the mainland or supporting visiting mainland scholars.
The biggest complaint arts agents have against the government is not the lack of financial help, but the abundance of red tape. For each mainland act, a promoter must go through an application procedure that includes filling out detailed forms for each troupe member. The Mainland Affairs Council requires that all performers and academics coming to Taiwan from mainland China must be screened by the Ministry of Education. Those who have close ties with the mainland government or military are sometimes turned away.
Promoters complain that the government has not issued any specific guidelines. “A program might have to be canceled because the main performers are not allowed in,” Keng says. “It’s right for the government to be careful in conducting cross-Straits exchange, but inviting mainland troupes becomes very risky for us. Why don’t they tell us who cannot come? If we know beforehand, we can manage the performances better.”
The government is gradually loosening these kinds of restrictions. For example, it initially required that every five persons in a troupe have one local guarantor who would ensure that they would not try to defect to Taiwan or do anything to harm cross-Straits relations. But now one arts agent can be the guarantor for an entire company. Also, the government now allows mainland officials to come as members of a performing troupe, something that was strictly forbidden in the past. “I think this change is good,” says Chou of Ars Formosa, “because they are decision-makers who need to have a better understanding of Taiwan. It’s not necessary to worry about them. I think both sides are learning from the process and adjusting their policies accordingly.”
One limitation the Education Ministry remains adamant about is on the number of mainland troupes that can visit Taiwan. The annual ceiling is now thirty-six, although there is no restriction on the number of soloists or duos that can perform. And each promotion company can present no more than two mainland acts every six months, although most have figured out a way around this limitation. “It’s ridiculous,” Keng says. “Even with this kind of restriction, those who are able to promote ten performing groups will still do so. If I can’t use my company name to invite a mainland troupe, I can use the name of some foundation or association.” Some agents, including New Aspect and Ars Formosa, have simply set up second promotion companies under different names.
Chen Shuh-kuen (陳樹坤), executive secretary of the Education Ministry’s Mainland Task Force, which approves mainland performances, insists that the ceiling benefits both the promoters and the public. “We have to be fair to each applicant and consider the balance among local, mainland, and foreign performances,” he says. “In addition, the market demand and local performing places should be taken into account.” Every six months, the task force invites scholars and art critics to evaluate the applications for mainland groups and decide which ones will be included in the quota. “We try to give equal opportunity to concerts, operas and dance performances,” Chen says. He adds that the number of large groups allowed has gradually increased, from twenty-four in 1992 to thirty-six this year, and the number of mainland artists coming to Taiwan has grown from 265 in 1991 to 3,600 in 1994. “This shows our performance market is open more and more to mainland troupes,” Chen says.
Still, promoters believe the government should allow the market to determine the number of mainland troupes that can visit every year. “The demand will automatically adjust the supply,” says Chou of Ars Formosa. “Those who lose money repeatedly will drop out.” He estimates that twenty promoters, out of a total of about forty, have already gone out of business, many of them amateurish operations run by people who simply wanted to help out friends in the mainland. Promoter Hsu Po-yun of New Aspect believes the government should treat the performance market much like a foreign currency market. “What we need is not limitation but supervision from time to time,” he says. “Restrictions cause panic. It’s much better if we let things develop according to their natural tendency.”
Despite government restrictions and the constant threat of financial problems, most established arts agents plan to continue promoting mainland troupes. "Because I'm interested in the arts, I keep fighting in spite of repeated setbacks," Chou says. "Besides, it's not easy to retreat after all these years." Like other promoters, Chou wants to expose audiences to a variety of programs and a broad spectrum of artistic traditions, including those from mainland China. He also stresses that good ticket sales are not necessarily an indication of artistic quality. "It's common that a show gets good reviews but does not have a good box office," Chou says.
Promoter Hsu agrees that the market cannot be the only consideration when inviting performing troupes. "Because Taiwan is very avant-garde in its artistic tastes and it's open to various types of performances, we like to introduce more and more programs," he says. "That's why we started contacting troupes in mainland China long before the restrictions were lifted. We hope to help people gain a greater appreciation of the arts."