Taiwan Church Press 3289 Edition March 9 - 15, 2015 Church Ministry "Surf Comes To Pound Our Coast", A Taiwanese Folk Opera About Dr. McKay Are Launched An Itinerant Performance Reported by Lin Yi-ying To celebrate 150th Anniversary of PCT Mission and the establishment of 135th Anniversary of McKay Memorial Hospital(MMH), a Taiwanese folk opera - "Surf Come To Pound Our Coast - Taiwan's Son-In-Law: McKay" was launched a itinerant performance from Hwa-lien on March 13th. As this opera is a special cooperation between MMH and National Taiwan College of Performing Arts(NTCPA), Mr Hwang Chun-sen, Managing Director of MMH, told the story why MMH wished to use Taiwanese folk opera to commemorate the pioneering missionary - Dr. McKay. "When Dr. McKay traveled to Mon-ka, a northern Taiwanese town, he bumped into one Taiwanese folk opera staged outdoors. As Mckay has a big beard, not minding he was a foreigner, local people invited him to play Kuan-gon, a traditional hero-turned-into-god renown with beard and dark face", said Hwang. To commemorate Dr. McKay's evangelical spirit to preach the Kingdom of God around Taiwan, Hwang expected this specially adapted Taiwanese folk opera could touch the heart of the Taiwan society. Ms Katheleen McKay, Executive Director of The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, remarked that Mckay not only did a great contributions to Taiwan through medicine and education but also did a significant job importing overseas fruit and vegetable into Taiwan. "Dr Mckay's achievement is an important milestone in Taiwan history. And he also initiated the 150 years solid relationship between Canada and Taiwan", said K. Mckay. She also hoped more Taiwanese can know learn more about Dr Mckay's legacy through this wonderfully adapted Taiwanese folk opera. Translated by Peter Wolfe |