Taiyupian 70th Anniversary: Screening of The Wandering of Three Siblings, introduced by Dr LIU Nanfang

The Wandering of Three Siblings smashed all Taiwanese box office records upon its release in late 1962. Its combination of Taiwanese-language gezaixi opera and martial arts offered both action and emotional excitement. Hanging on to traditional values of loyalty, chastity, righteousness, and familial obligation in turbulent times, as well as drawing on wuxia adventure and folk beliefs centred on worship of the goddess Mazu, the film resonated with audiences at a time when rapid social and cultural change associated with industrialisation and modernisation was transforming the island.

Set during the Ming dynasty, The Wandering of Three Siblings tells the story of YANG Bi-xia and her husband YUE Tian-lei, killed when the corrupt governor ZHANG Nie-fu becomes obsessed with Bi-xia, whom he imprisons. Their three children are rescued during the destruction of the family escort agency and embark on a long and perilous adventure across the country in search of safety, their mother, and ultimately justice. The children eventually train in martial arts and set out to avenge their father. Bi-xia, grateful for the goddess Mazu’s protection, chooses to become a nun. Director SHAO Luohui was trained as a filmmaker in Japan in the 1940s before returning to Taiwan after World War II. The film made HSU Hsiunian, the child actor who played the eldest sibling, an enduring star of gezaixi opera.

Screened by the University of Leicester in partnership with The Taiwanese-Language Cinema 70th Anniversary Project, the Taiwan Ministry of Culture, Taiwan Film & Audiovisual Institute (TFAI), and King’s College London.

A symposium, ‘Starting from Music: 70 Years of Taiyupian,’ will take place on 12th June 2026 at SOAS University of London, chaired and hosted by Professor Chris Berry (King’s College London) and Dr Ming-Yeh Rawnsley (SOAS University of London).