2023
About the Program
Are you afraid of ghosts? Why are female ghosts more spine-chilling than other spirits?
Myths of gods and ghosts are always fascinating; the untouchable mysteriousness is awe-inspiring. In the three realms of gods, ghosts, and humans, people naturally keep a safe distance from the first two. No matter their sex, humans become ghosts after death, but the most frightening ones are always the female ghosts. In fact, they could only gain powers and be “seen” after their deaths.
When people draw a self-portrait, a mirror is needed to see themselves; so when the Taiwanese tries to sketch a self-portrait of Formosa (Taiwan), what should be used as a mirror?
Folklore reflects all walks of life within society, which may serve as a mirror for us. In Taiwan, the powers of female ghosts are so strong that they can even overturn their original, living status and challenge the gods. This is a group of females with the same fate: they were miserably abused when alive, so they sought their revenge when they died and became ghosts. From girls, damsels, to women, Professor Shu-Chun Yu will analyze the social significance of various female ghosts, and guide the audience to glimpse the invisible constraints of traditional ethics from the female ghosts’ lived and unlived experiences and the rebellious power they symbolize.
Watch out! The female ghost is right by your side!
Professor Shu-Chun Yu specializes in folk beliefs, contemporary novels, and gender studies. She has been engaged in the study of Taiwan’s folk beliefs and festival culture for many years. She has personally participated in the many major community celebrations, including the “Keelung Mid-Summer Ghost Festival,” held in her hometown of Keelung in the seventh month of the lunar calendar. This is one of the most unique rituals in Taiwan.
As a female researcher, she found that the greatest obstacle to gender equality lies in the strong constraints of folk customs, which are revealed in traditional folklore. In the past, the inheritance of folk beliefs was mostly limited to men, and women were sometimes even excluded from the ceremony. In analyzing the image of women in Taiwanese proverbs and folklore, she unearths the hidden social meanings, and also examines the gender discrimination that still exists in contemporary folk activities in hopes of creating positive change.
From the Curating Team
How have migration, war, and conflict impacted culture and social values of today? This year at TAIWANfest, we dive into the significance of Taipei's National Palace Museum, Taiwanese diaspora during the Japansese colonial period, recovery of Indigenous culture, and other Taiwanese history. Through this, we examine identity, social values, and contemporary challenges, fostering international dialogue and respect for cultural diversity.
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TAIWANfest Toronto is grateful to be held on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, that is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We acknowledge our privilege to be gathered here, and commit to work with and be respectful to the Indigenous peoples of this land while we engage in meaningful conversations of culture and reconciliation.