Chen Zhaoxian, CEO of Minghuayuan Group, responded to the controversy over not participating in the Art Festival

Chen Zhaoxian, CEO of Minghuayuan Group. (File photo, taken by reporter Hong Ruiqin)

"The Beauty Art Festival" has come to an end, but the off-screen drama is not over yet! Ming Huayuan did not participate in the performance, and had originally explained the schedule and team considerations. Unexpectedly, CEO Chen Zhaoxian was asked about this matter again when he attended the press conference of the Arts Center on the 24th. He affirmed that the art festival has brought more attention to Gezi Opera, but mentioned "expanding people's family affairs into an art festival." He also said that he declined the first contact when he was contacted, which caused dissatisfaction with the promoter Mr. Su.

Mr. Su counterattacked by showing screenshots of the conversation on Threads on the 25th, saying that he had not considered inviting Ming Hua Yuan at all at first. It was someone from the Ming Hua Yuan troupe who left a comment on his article saying "Let's join the war (exhibition)", so he politely invited, and later announced that Tianzi Troupe and Embroidery Garden would join the performance. Later, he did not perform, but he still expressed respect, but now after the event, he was "called as if I was lying", which hurt everyone who participated in the event and was difficult for him to accept.

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Mr. Su even alleged that a member of the Ming Hua Garden Group 2 was involved in emotional and financial disputes. The other party was involved in defrauding his distant cousin of more than 5 million yuan and domestic violence. He also said that he had information such as injury examinations and court judgments, and questioned whether the Ming Hua Garden Group should also deal with internal disputes since it has the ability to ask the sub-group to withdraw from the performance.

Faced with heated discussions among netizens, Chen Zhaoxian posted another long post on the 26th, saying that this was her last response to the Art Festival. She said that what she cared about was never "whether she could act", but whether her family and people with similar growth experiences might be uncomfortable. As long as she had this concern, she couldn't ignore it, so she chose not to participate.

Chen Zhaoxian also emphasized that she respects everyone's choice and is happy to see Gezi Opera seen by more people; "Not participating does not mean denying others' participation." Respecting activities does not mean that you must participate. "There are things I didn't do well this time, and there are also many things I need to learn. I will remember them."

Mr. Su left a message below, asking Chen Zhaoxian to answer two things: whether the main group put pressure on the sub-group not to perform, and whether the dispute he alleged about the 2nd group will be resolved. The incident spread on the Internet, with voices supporting both sides. Some netizens called on the Mei Arts Festival and Ming Huayuan to be equally committed to the inheritance of traditional opera, hoping that the controversy would not be manipulated by people with malicious intentions and turn into cultural polarization and confrontation in Taiwan.

For related news, please see:

A long article reveals Ming Huayuan’s concerns about declining the performance. Chen Zhaoxian: My last response to the Mei Arts Festival

Mr. Su, the founder of the Mei Art Festival, left a comment on Chen Zhaoxian’s Facebook post questioning. (Picture taken from Threads)