Taipei, Aug. 9 (CNA) The 2006 Asia-Pacific Traditional Arts Festival, which starts Aug. 12 in the northeastern Taiwan county of Yilan, will try to raise awareness of the diversity of cultural heritage with more than 20 local and foreign performing groups showcasing the richness of traditional cultural resources in the Asia-Pacific region, the organizers said at a press conference Wednesday.
Taiwanese people have long valued Western culture and have "neglected" the rich cultural assets of neighboring countries, according to Lin Chao-hao, Director of The National Center for Traditional Arts (NCFTA). The event, which runs from Aug. 12-Sept. 3, will include artistic performances, demonstration lectures, special exhibits and academic seminars.
Four foreign groups highlighting the event include the Muqam Art Ensemble from China's Xinjiang Province, the Yuanshe Water Puppet Troupe from Vietnam, a group from Thailand performing Ramayana traditional dance and the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts from South Korea.
The groups will perform for three weeks in a tour that will also take them to Taipei, Taoyuan, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Taitung.
Also on the performing list will be more than a dozen local groups, such as the Ju Percussion Group, the Lan Yang Dancers and various groups of the Songjiang Battle Array.
The event will focus on the topic of "Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity" in response to "Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, " which was adopted by UNESCO in 2003 and entered into force in April this year.
In addition to artistic performances, an international conference will discuss the topic of "East Asian music and modernity." An exhibition on the traditional percussion instruments of the Asia-Pacific area will also be held from Aug. 12-Sept. 30 at the NCFTA.
In the past four festivals, over 500 events performed by groups from more than 20 countries were held. The festival covers music, dance, fine arts, drama, crafts and installation art, and has become one of the biggest platforms of Asian traditional culture.