Dear Friend,

	Taiwanese opera

I love Taiwanese opera, or gezai-xi! Our group went to see a performance at Pao-An Temple. Even though I couldn’t understand what the performers were saying, it was cool to see. I was able to get the idea of the story just by watching. The stories are based on folktales and the lives of common people. And the costumes and music are great!

All through April, theater groups perform at Pao-An Temple, which was built about two hundred years ago. Although there are altars to many deities at Pao-An, it’s primarily a Taoist temple where the focus of worship is Paosheng Tati, the God of Medicine. But other religions, such as Buddhism, can also be practiced here.

	An altar at Pao-An Temple

One of the main ideas of Taoism is wuwei, which means that one should go with the flow of nature. Other Taoist ideas involve remaining humble, passive, nonassertive, and nonaggressive. Many Taoists say that eternal patience and tolerance will eventually produce the desired results.

Your friend,

Carla