Infidelity parable-inspired arts festival opens in Tainan

Tainan, Sept. 19 (CNA) A five-day arts festival named after a Chinese parable about infidelity opened in Tainan's Anping District on Friday, organized in support of former President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) daughter, Chen Hsing-yu (陳幸妤), following her divorce.

The independently organized Zhamei Arts Festival (鍘美藝術節) features picnics and free performances on its first two nights, followed by paid banquets and free performances from Sunday through Tuesday evening.

Each night features Taiwanese hand puppetry or Taiwanese Hokkien opera, with performances based on either the story that inspired the festival's name or another tale of infidelity.

The curious case of Chen and Chao

The festival's name is a satirical reference to "The Execution Trial of Prince Consort Chen Shimei" (鍘美案), a story featuring Justice Bao (包青天), a figure in Chinese literature and popular culture known for his incorruptibility.

Justice Bao is based on a real-life official from China's Song Dynasty.

In the story, Bao defies an imperial pardon and orders the execution of Chen Shimei (陳世美), a prince consort who concealed his marriage from the royal family, committed infidelity and attempted to murder his first wife and children.

Organizers chose the story because they saw parallels with Chen Hsing-yu's former marriage to Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘).

In an online post last month, Chen, once nicknamed Taiwan's "first daughter" and now affectionately known in Tainan as the "daughter of Tainan," disclosed her divorce in a Google Maps review.

On her 50th birthday, Chen left a one-star review of Chao's orthopedic clinic, accusing her ex-husband of infidelity and neglect. She claimed that he had an affair with an employee and had not cared for her or their children for years.

Asked by local media the following day about her use of the term "ex-wife," Chen said she and Chao had been divorced for some time.

Chao had once been nicknamed Taiwan's "prince consort" because he was married to the daughter of a then-sitting president. Internet users sympathetic to Chen subsequently organized the five-day festival and named it after the parable.

Quick success

What began as a satirical suggestion quickly gained support, with organizers raising enough money from the public in less than a month to hold the festival.

The performances and activities on the first two nights are free. Part of the festival's funding came from attendees booking paid banquets for the final three evenings.

The banquets will be modeled on Taiwan's traditional roadside feasts, showcasing the country's grassroots dining culture alongside hand puppetry and opera.

On Friday, the festival's opening night, Taiwan's Goodoo Puppet Troupe took the stage at 7 p.m. for a traditional pre-show ritual.

Organizers described the troupe as an experienced group that had performed in Japan several times.

Singer Huang Fei (黃妃) performed after the ritual, before the puppet troupe returned for the festival's headlining production of "The Execution Trial of Prince Consort Chen Shimei."

According to organizers, the story is rarely staged in Taiwanese hand puppetry, so the troupe had to obtain new sets and puppets for the festival.

Various Taiwanese Hokkien opera groups will headline the remaining four nights of free shows.

The Goodoo Puppet Troupe also gave two performances ahead of the festival. The first was held on Sept. 4 near Chao's family home in Tainan's Yanshui District, followed by an encore on Sept. 9 at Chen Shui-bian's ancestral home in Guantian District.