Welcome Banquet – Xiang Yun Temple Welcomes Taipei’s New Theater Troupe

Reported by Zhou Li, Humanistic Buddhism Press, Austin

On July 26, 2025, the “An Appointment with Peking Opera” series of events kicked off at Xiang Yun Temple. The New Theater Troupe from Taipei will be performing two Peking Opera shows in Austin.

That morning, the troupe visited Austin’s Little Tiger Chinese School to introduce the history and unique features of Peking Opera. They performed a scene featuring the Monkey King (Sun Wukong), which was met with great enthusiasm. Parents and students alike were amazed and full of praise.

In the evening, the troupe visited Xiang Yun Temple, where they admired the temple’s architecture and Buddhist culture, and joined over a hundred guests for a vegetarian dinner prepared by volunteers. Later that night, the troupe’s founder, Master Li Baochun, personally introduced the four major role types in Peking Opera (young male, female lead, old male, and comic roles), along with singing styles, physical movement, and walking techniques. He also demonstrated traditional instruments like the jinghu (a two-stringed fiddle) and gongs and drums, earning enthusiastic applause from the audience.

The Buddha’s Light Youth Group also performed a piece previously featured at the offering ceremony for monastics at Hsi Lai Temple, showcasing a blend of tradition and innovation in cultural heritage.

On behalf of the organizers, Fo Guang Shan and Xiang Yun Temple, Venerable Jueji expressed gratitude to the co-organizers: Austin Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA), Austin Asian American Alliance, and Chinese Association of Austin for their strong support. She noted that this event is a perfect example of the “collective creation” spirit advocated by Venerable Master Hsing Yun.

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