Soul guiding is a traditional ritual performed at Taiwanese funerals in the past. This ritual has been dying out, but interest in it has been reignited after it was featured in a popular musical last year. Now, one of the few remaining soul guiding troupes has been invited to appear at the Cultural Olympiad in Paris.
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00:00γι’¨δΈηγ
00:13Unique music fills this courtyard in southern Taiwan.
00:17In the dim light, members of the γι’¨δΈηγ spirit guiding group,
00:20dressed in traditional costumes,
00:22rehearse for the upcoming cultural Olympiad in Paris.
00:25γι’¨δΈηγ
00:28γι’¨δΈηγ means lantern in the wind
00:31and symbolizes the warm guiding light
00:33that leads departed souls to the afterlife.
00:36The performance, known as soul guiding,
00:38is one of Taiwan's traditional funeral rites.
00:41It involves singing in Taiwanese Hokkien,
00:43dancing and storytelling.
00:45This practice is believed to help lead the soul of the deceased
00:48through the underworld.
00:50It also serves as a form of grief counseling for the living.
00:55Accompanied by an electric sanxian,
00:57a modern twist to a traditional three-stringed instrument,
01:00the troupe is performing a piece
01:02that tells the story of people
01:04who leave their homelands to come and settle in Taiwan.
01:07γι’¨δΈηγ
01:13We try to make a performance
01:15based on the songs of the deceased.
01:17It's similar to our performance at the funeral.
01:22About 50% to 60% of the songs
01:25are performed at the funeral.
01:37Originating in southern Taiwan,
01:39funeral songs were once a common burial ritual
01:42but have become rarer as ceremonies were simplified
01:45and fewer families today hire soul guiding groups.
01:48γι’¨δΈηγ is one of the few remaining troupes
01:51preserving traditional movements and music.
01:54Many young people in Taiwan
01:56didn't know about this unique tradition
01:58until a musical featuring soul guiding songs
02:00became popular in 2023.
02:03It quickly went from a fading ritual
02:05to a nationwide sensation,
02:07landing this art form a spot
02:09in Taiwan's cultural Olympiad lineup.
02:11There are many troupes in Taiwan.
02:16Over the past 100 years,
02:18troupes have created
02:20songs and rituals
02:23that symbolize Taiwan's land.
02:27Soul guiding songs are a very special
02:30traditional ritual in Taiwan.
02:33It represents the feelings of Taiwanese people
02:36and the way they express their feelings
02:38towards their loved ones.
02:42The rehearsal tonight attracted a small audience,
02:45including not only Taiwanese,
02:47but also a French priest.
02:49Living in Taiwan for more than 10 years,
02:51Fr. Jean Doucenter believes this unique art
02:54transcends language and culture
02:56and deserves to be appreciated
02:58by foreign audiences.
03:00I invite them to observe
03:02and be surprised
03:05by another religious tradition.
03:09There are more religious traditions
03:12than those that are most common
03:14in Europe and France.
03:16The members of Fong Zhong Deng
03:18have been singing funeral songs for decades,
03:20but they never imagined
03:22they could take their performance
03:24all the way to Paris.
03:26I believe that this year,
03:28Taiwan's international status
03:30and reputation
03:32will definitely exist.
03:34I hope that this performance
03:36can attract more foreigners
03:39to understand Taiwan.
03:43The art of soul guiding
03:45may be uniquely Taiwanese,
03:47but the emotions it conveys are universal.
03:49Like a lantern in the wind,
03:51the warmth of the performance
03:53touches the hearts of people around the world.
03:55Alex Chen, Pichi Zhuang, and Yuchen Lai
03:57for Taiwan Plus.