KMT Chairwoman Zheng Liwen and her delegation visited the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) located on the west side of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday, discovering many shining moments and familiar artists from cross-strait artistic exchanges.
With the weekend approaching, there were multiple performances scheduled at the NCPA that day. NCPA President Wang Ning guided Zheng Liwen and her delegation—the stage set for Verdi’s opera 'Aida,' produced by the NCPA, was magnificent and exquisite in the opera house; in the concert hall, Heidrich and the NCPA Orchestra would jointly perform classics by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, and Reger.
Wang Ning invited the visiting delegation to enjoy the performance in the concert hall that evening. He especially mentioned that there are 8 artists from Taiwan in the NCPA Orchestra and Choir, “They have made positive contributions to the artistic development of the NCPA.” Five of these musicians would be performing in the evening's line-up.
The exhibition 'Never-Ending Stage' records the NCPA’s history of performances, repertoire productions, artistic exchanges, and popular education achievements since its establishment. Exhibits include costumes from classic productions, props, stage models, handwritten designs, and other physical artifacts. Among the photos and autographs of numerous artists, Zheng Liwen spotted familiar Taiwanese artists and performances: Performance Workshop's play 'Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land,' Mei School master Wei Haimin starring in 'The Golden Cangue,' well-known singer Lo Ta-yu, and more.
Jiangsu Grand Theatre’s original ethnic dance drama 'Dream of the Red Chamber' had performed in Taipei in June 2025. Upon seeing production photos on the wall, Zheng Liwen immediately recognized them and said: “This show was staged in Taipei, I went to see it!”
“The NCPA has always been committed to building a bridge for cross-strait cultural exchange.” Wang Ning said in an interview. Since 2018, the NCPA has hosted 15 tour and viewing groups from Taiwan, totaling 910 guests; many Taiwanese artists and troupes have performed at the venue, including Wei Haimin, Lo Ta-yu, actor Jin Shijie, as well as troupes Cloud Gate Dance Theatre and U-Theatre, giving wonderful performances on the NCPA stage.
“I hope this visit will help Chairwoman Zheng and our compatriots in Taiwan get to know the NCPA better. We also warmly welcome them to visit more in the future and to engage in more exchanges with us,” said Wang Ning.