News & Events >> 2007

Modern Taiwanese Folklore Comes to Life in Atlanta

December 3, 2007

On December 1, 2007, Director General Wu and Deputy Director General Charles Liu joined the Taiwanese American community at the TECO Cultural Center for the Song Jiang Military Array demonstration.

Song Jiang Military Array is a recently popularized folk art in Southern Taiwan. The traditional purpose of this martial art form is to exercise the body and to form a battalion of protection within local tribes and villages. Today it is popular as a hobby and friendly group activity

One must have 32 people for the array formation. There are two leaders, who can be recognized by the colorful flag and an ornate ax that each carries respectively. The group will first parade as a whole, perform warm up exercises and then split into teams of two for practice duals. The entire exercise takes about 20 minutes.

Taiwan’s modern folklore culture is supported and encouraged by TECO in Atlanta. The Taiwanese American community is also very supportive and active in the revival of the Song Jiang Military Array exercises. Robert Wong, owner of Atlanta Wholesale, John Lu, President of the Korean Chinese Restaurant Association and owner of Aqua Bistro restaurant, and TK Wang, a commercial real estate developer in Atlanta, have generously donated weapons to add to the Song Jiang Military Array’s arsenal. The Taiwanese American School of Atlanta will receive the artifacts to teach their students how to perform the exercise.

推廣台灣本土文化宋江陣亞特蘭大登場

未推廣台灣本土文化，駐亞特蘭大台北經濟文化辦事處獲得亞城僑界領袖呂志全、翁金清及王泰康等人贊助，續由從高雄縣內門鄉購買宋江陣器材，交予亞特蘭大台灣民俗協會及台美學校演練，希望將來能夠在各種國際文化活動場合中，展現台灣國際形象。宋江陣器材移交典禮在亞特蘭大僑教中心正式登場，最精彩的莫過於吳榮泉處長與劉克裕副處長親自下場與僑胞翁金清、吳政興表演對打，這兩名外交官員在苦練月餘後，下場對打時無論踢、打、翻、滾、跳，都頗具武師的架勢，僑教中心主任林美玲則在旁鳴鑼助陣，盼能獲得僑胞共鳴，推展宋江陣文化。

　宋江陣是結合武學和藝術的民俗表演，為台灣廟會不可或缺的要角之一。這一套一百件的宋江陣器材包括服裝、鑼鼓、以及藤牌、躂仔、單刀、雙刀、鉤、叉、齊眉棒支、雙斧等兵器，是當前美國第一套的宋江陣器材。吳榮泉表示，這套價值三千美元的宋江陣器材，是辦事處邀請僑胞王泰康、呂志全、翁金清出錢購買，再捐贈給台美學校及亞特蘭大台灣民俗協會使用。他特別強調，僑胞可以在各個層面出錢出力，為台灣推廣外交，不一定都要由政府出錢，因此他很感謝三名僑胞的捐助。

Rev 1/13/08