Danei Open-Air Theater

Open-air theaters were a common feature of the urban landscape of Taiwan in the 1950s and 1960s, especially in more rural areas where the cost of building a more permanent structure was prohibitive. Few physical traces of these theaters remain today, but a notable exception can be found in the town of Danei in Tainan. Here a red brick enclosure, ticket booth, and other features of the eponymous Danei Open-Air Theater (大內露天戲院) can still be found along a cramped laneway (摸乳巷) in the heart of Neizhuang Village (內庄村).

Date CapturedApril 2nd, 2021 at 06:17 UTCCameraNIKON D3400LensAF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G or AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VRApertureƒ / 8Shutter Speed1/250 secFocal Length23.0 mmISO100Exposure Value14.0 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedApril 2nd, 2021 at 06:18 UTCCameraNIKON D3400LensAF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR or AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6GApertureƒ / 6.3Shutter Speed1/160 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO100Exposure Value12.6 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

The ticket booth is the most salient feature remaining at this site. It is a simple structure with two small windows and a small counter on the other side. The entrance to the theater was to the left of the ticket booth, with metal doors on the right opened near the end of any performance or screening, a custom known as “watching the end of the show” (看戲尾). Although it isn’t mentioned in any account that I’ve consulted, there are toilets against the far wall of the enclosure, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they were original features of the theater.

Date CapturedApril 2nd, 2021 at 06:18 UTCCameraNIKON D3400LensAF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR or AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6GApertureƒ / 8Shutter Speed1/250 secFocal Length25.0 mmISO100Exposure Value14.0 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedApril 2nd, 2021 at 06:18 UTCCameraNIKON D3400LensAF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G or AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VRApertureƒ / 7.1Shutter Speed1/200 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO100Exposure Value13.3 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Danei was home to three theaters in the 1960s: the eponymous Danei Theater, established in a warehouse owned by the farmers’ association in 1941, and two open-air theaters. All three hosted a variety of performances—primarily traditional opera (歌仔戲) and puppet shows (布袋戲), but Taiwanese language film screenings in the evenings were also very popular. It seems nobody knows precisely when this particular theater was built, nor when it closed down, but there’s a good chance business began to dwindle in the early 1970s with the rise of home television and improved transportation links to nearby urban centers.

Date CapturedApril 2nd, 2021 at 06:19 UTCCameraNIKON D3400LensAF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR or AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6GApertureƒ / 7.1Shutter Speed1/200 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO100Exposure Value13.3 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Although this open-air theater has long been known to history and theater aficionados, culture workers in southern Taiwan began promoting the site in 2023 as part of a broader effort to preserve the enduring heritage of rural Tainan. This site is unique in its state of preservation and I certainly hope some effort is made to officially designate it a heritage site worthy of protection. It offers a rare glimpse into rural entertainment during Taiwan’s period of rapid economic growth in the late 20th century.