The Toucheng kid striving to revive Beiguan

A suona is a wind instrument used in Beiguan, a traditional form of theater performance in southern Fujian and Taiwan. Two years ago, after witnessing the culture of Beiguan waning and a lack of young people getting involved, 17-year-old Liang Hong-jie stepped up to the plate and began striving to revive this ancient art. 

As people’s entertainment habits have changed through the years, traditional culture has gradually declined. In its heyday, each village in Yilan had a troupe. Though Liang Hong-jie has set his mind on passing on traditional Beiguan culture, he adamantly stated, “I’ll never regard Beiguan as just a career,” because Liang’s primary consideration is not merely making money. He hopes that more young people will get involved and that traditional culture can be preserved for posterity.

以下為中文對照

吹奏類的北管在台灣俗稱「嗩吶」，使用於中國大陸閩南與台灣地區的傳統音樂、歌曲及戲劇表演。有鑒於頭城的北管文化式微又缺乏年輕一代注入，現年十七歲的梁鈜傑於兩年前投入了復興「北管」的運動。

隨著現代人的娛樂習慣改變，傳統文化已經逐漸式微。全盛時期，宜蘭每個庄頭都有一團。為了能夠讓北管文化傳承下去，梁鈜傑也坦言「並不會把吹奏北管當成職業」，因為真正想做的事情，並不會以「錢」為第一考量。他也期盼能有更多的年輕人的加入，讓這項傳統文化能夠繼續保留下去。

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