"Because my father passed away quite early on, I never felt a sense of hometown. But as I received the first letter from my uncle, the sentiments hit me, the deep feelings emanating from his words, the envelope, the postage stamp," Lai says.
In 1997, he visited Huichang for the first time. At the time, he didn't have much of an idea how to contribute to this county, which lies deep in the mountains and is difficult to reach. Starting in 2015, he decided to stage a theater production in Huichang each year.
"It was just a simple thought, to bring a play here each year and see if any changes would take place. What influence could culture have on this relatively remote place?" he says.
With the support of the Huichang local government, Lai began to envision boosting the county's economic development through culture, art and theater, transforming it into a destination desirable to the younger generations, hence the theater village project was conceived.
The Xibeijie community, located in Huichang's ancient city, has been transformed into a theater village, where the ancestral hall, a former factory and street houses have been turned into four theater venues with different characteristics.
The ancient city's squares, riverbanks and pavilions, built in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), will also take on modern functions, allowing for diverse types of theater and outdoor performances.
In the opening theater season, several productions from home and abroad will be staged. Apart from Flower in the Mirror, Moon in the Water, Lai and his Theatre Above will bring The Village, a 15-year-old production telling the stories of migrants from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan during the last century.
Another of Lai's classics, Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, is also being adapted and performed by a local Huichang theater troupe, which incorporates elements of Jiangxi's folk tea-picking opera. This September, Lai and his wife, theater producer and CEO of Theatre Above, Ding Nai-chu, went to Huichang to oversee rehearsals.
