Optional Tour
Cloud Gate Theater
Located in Tamsui of New Taipei City, is home to Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, comprises a main theater with over 400 seats, t two studios, and a 1,000-person capacity outdoor space, as well as offices and professional theater facilities.
After its warehouse studio was destroyed in a blaze in 2008, Cloud Gate signed a B.O.T. contract with the New Taipei City government for a 40-year operating right to use the public land, on condition that Cloud Gate provided its own funds for building and running the theater on the site. 4,155 individual and corporate donations, including a gift of US$ 5 million from the Alphawood Foundation Chicago, had made the construction of the Theater possible.
Since its opening on April 24, 2015, Cloud Gate Theater is now approaching its tenth year. The theater has presented performances and activities by local troupes and visiting artists from Taiwan and abroad. The venue also features an outdoor sculpture exhibition by renowned sculptor Ju Ming and gallery exhibitions, which are free and open to the public, turning the theater into a vibrant arts hub that attracts visitors from around the world.
Photo credit: Liu Chen-hsiang
U-Theatre and its Mountain Theatre
Integrating elements of martial arts, drumming, meditation, Tai Chi guiding, and sacred dance, U-Theatre merges music, drama, literature, dance, and rituals, crafting a distinctive performance style known as the 'U-Theatre Aesthetics'.
Since its establishment in 1988, the Laochuan Mountain Theater in Muzha, Taipei has been the base for the members' lives, training, and creative pursuits, providing a wellspring of inspiration and the foundation for their existence. This tranquil and pure place is cherished by the public as a spot where one can deeply connect with nature and life. This exceptional corner of Taiwan has garnered attention from prestigious international media outlets like Discovery and Arte, showcasing it to a global audience. In 2007, U-Theatre's mountain theater was designated as a cultural landscape of Taipei City.
Photo credit: 林勝發
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Contemporary Legend Theatre
Cofounded in 1986 by WU Hsing-kuo, Contemporary Legend Theatre (CLT) is committed to building a bridge between traditional Chinese opera and contemporary theater. CLT is recognized globally as a pioneer in intercultural, cross-disciplinary performances, and has been invited to perform at reputable venues as well as festivals in over twenty countries. It is the only one performing arts group in Taiwan that has staged performances at top three art festivals around the world: Edinburgh International Festival, Festival d'Avignon and Lincoln Center Festival.
The National Taichung Theater
The National Taichung Theater (NTT) is a national venue for performing arts in Central Taiwan. Designed by Pritzker laureate Toyo Ito, it was officially inaugurated in 2016. Described by Toyo Ito as architecture for ears, the design of the theater veers off the proper and square approach of traditional architecture and instead offers its visitors a sense of natural fluidity when they stroll into the building.
With three professional theater venues, NTT presents three signature series every year: Arts NOVA, Summer Fun Time, and Fall for Great Souls. Unconventional space for performance/exhibition is also created by leveraging the 19-meter high curve walls for immersive projection, named the T.A.P. Project. Always staying in tune with the global art scene, NTT showcases a wide range of artistic creativity and embeds arts in life.
In recent years, NTT has continued to optimize our operation as a part of the smart theater initiative through a holistic green approach to realize the vision for sustainability—a green theater for arts and people.
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)
Center for the Arts, Arts for the People
Located next to the Weiwuying Metropolitan Park in Fengshan District, the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) sits on a 9.9 hectare lot and occupies a floor area of 3.3 hectares. Inspired by the beauty of the local banyan trees and their iconic canopies of leaves, architect Francine Houben's design is an undulating structure composed of a unique skin that can withstand the humidity and salinity in Kaohsiung – a port city – thanks to a collaborative effort with the city's shipbuilders, and a roof under which generous free spaces can flow. In consideration of southern Taiwan's tropical climate and people's love for outdoor night activities, the Center has a fence-free plaza on the grounds that is accessible 24 hours a day for strolling, relaxing and much more, creating a breezy and welcoming space in which theater and music become part of everyday life. The Center opened on 2018, developing and bringing local as well as international talents to southern Taiwan.
Photo credit: 彭仁義
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