From 1997, Mr. Chen Sheng-fu and Miss Suen Tsuei-feng have supported the Students’ Club of Taiwanese Opera of Xi-Hu Elementary School. Whenever the Ming Hwa Yuan has a performance, we always see the Chen bustling around. Mr. Chen is always devoted in his job. He lives in the same building with some of our club members, the so called “Xi-Hu Red Kids” but we seldom see him around. It seems that he never takes a break. In the interview, he said, “When we present a new play, I often think about the balance among the artistic value of our creation, the acceptance of audiences, the cost of operation and the function of social education, because we believe that dramas have imperceptive influence on audiences. I truly hope that the performances of the Ming Hwa Yuan can not only provide both artistic value and entertainment to people, but also bring a light of hope to our audiences.” Mr. Chen thinks since his family is involved in this job, they have to be the best. This is the faith of the current Chief of the Ming Hwa Yuan, Mr. Chen Sheng-fu.

Mr. Chen Ming-ji founded the Ming Hwa Yuan in 1929. The whole Chen family is involved in Taiwanese Opera, except for the third son Chen Sheng-fu. Twenty years ago, Chen Ming-ji consulted with his sons and daughters. They all agreed with Mr. Chen Ming-ji’s decision to appoint Chen Sheng-fu to take over the Ming Hwa Yuan.
The family’s explanation for him to take over was that Mr. Chen Sheng-fu has been away from home working for a long time. They believe that he would have a more objective perspective and provide the latest information from outside world to the Ming Hwa Yuan. Because each family member of the Ming Hwa Yuan began to listen to the sound of traditional percussion instruments even before they were born, therefore, no matter how difficult it is to make a living by performing Taiwanese Opera, they still hold on to this dream with passion. Hence, Chen Sheng-fu decided to shoulder this responsibility to keep his family business going.
In 1979, when Chen Sheng-fu was twenty-seven years old, he started to gradually take over his father Chen Ming-ji’s job. Chen Sheng-fu’s motto in life is that there is nothing impossible. No matter how bad the time is, there is always a way to achieve a successful career, because he deeply believes that “Man proposes, God disposes.” In his father’s generation, the Ming Hwa Yuan’s trouble was poverty and lack of adequate food to support the whole family. Now, the challenge that this generation has to overcome is the conventional discrimination against actors of Taiwanese Opera.
Chen Sheng-fu was very introverted when he was little, and due to his family background, he was really afraid of being despised by his teacher and classmates. Therefore he was very diligent in his schoolwork. One time, he was the champion of a composition contest in his school. He wanted to share his joy with his father. When he ran to the temple square where the troupe was preparing for acting, he saw that there were more than ten opera troupes crowded together on the ground. The square was separated into tow parts, one was for dragon and lion dancing performers and sedan carriers, and the other was for actors and beggars. Although he was still a little boy, he poignantly realized how people in this society treat Taiwanese Opera actors. However, through collaborative efforts from his father, his family and the staff of the Ming Hwa Yuan, these days the Ming Hwa Yuan has already been widely accepted and acclaimed by the public.

Chen Sheng-fu thinks that Taiwanese Opera used to exist on the verge of being “cultural art” and “roadside beggar.” Actually, Taiwanese Opera is defined by our attitude toward it, and our ideas about it. The Chen family has devoted their entire life into this career. As Chen Ming-ji founded the Ming Hwa Yuan, he always reminded his actors that besides trying their best to perform their characters on stage, they also have to integrate morals into their performance, and infuse such spirit into their drama. In this way, without preaching or slogan shouting, they could enlighten their audiences with these important traditional morals. Chen Sheng-fu said that the Ming Hwa Yuan has seventy years’ history. Although they’ve won a great ovation from the public, even until now, there remain various kinds of challenges out there for them to overcome. Such challenges may exist in other theater troupes as well. Chen Sheng-fu paves the way for the Ming Hwa Yuan punctiliously, and hopefully, step by step, the Ming Hwa Yuan will stride forward on an even brighter path.