In November 2025, the Taiwan Society for Ethnomusicology's academic symposium "Reflections and Prospects on Traditional Music" was held as scheduled at the National Library of Taiwan in Taipei. Founded by the late renowned Taiwanese music scholar Professor Hsu Chang-hui and formally established in 1991, the Society has long been dedicated to researching and promoting Taiwanese ethnic music. This conference was organized by current Chairperson Professor Yu Su-huang, funded by the National Center for Traditional Arts, and co-hosted by multiple universities. The symposium featured a keynote lecture by Dr. Chao Chin, a renowned music scholar and multiple recipient of Taiwan's Golden Bell Awards. The conference agenda built an academic platform through diverse topics, encompassing both local research such as the evolution of traditional music among Taiwan's indigenous peoples and the cultural imagery of Hakka music, while also focusing on cutting-edge directions like urban music anthropology. It not only gathered senior scholars and experts from various regions but also served as a vital bridge for cultural exchange across the "two shores and four regions", injecting new value into the development of ethnomusicology and the mutual learning of civilizations.

I. Visit to National Taiwan University of Arts: Exploring New Pathways for Cross-Domain Art Collaboration Between Macao and Taiwan

On the first day of arrival in Taiwan, Professor Dai Dingcheng of City University of Macau, accompanied by Supervisor Lam Wai U and doctoral students, visited the Institute of Graduate Institute of Transdisciplinary Performing Arts at National Taiwan University of Arts. They were warmly received by Professor Chen Hui-shan, the Institute Director. Director Chen Hui-shan elaborated on the institute's educational philosophy of "cross-disciplinary integration and unity of learning and practice". As Taiwan's first academic institution dedicated to "cross-disciplinary performing arts" as an independent research focus, it cultivates high-caliber professionals with both international perspectives and local awareness through four major curriculum modules. Professor Dai Dingcheng expressed strong endorsement of this educational philosophy, sharing Macao's unique artistic ecosystem and research experiences shaped by its fusion of Chinese and Western cultures. Both parties expressed mutual anticipation for establishing regular mechanisms for inter-institutional academic exchanges, faculty-student visits, and project collaborations. They plan to jointly explore the "Macao-Taiwan Cross-Domain Art Research" initiative, aiming to spark new possibilities through the collision of Macao's multicultural heritage and National Taiwan University of Arts's cutting-edge exploratory expertise.

II. Lecture at National Taiwan Normal University: Deepening Cross-Strait Music Academic Exchange

On November 14, Professor Dai Dingcheng was invited to deliver a special lecture titled "Macau's Musical Traditions and Cultural Innovation in the Greater Bay Area" at the Institute of Ethnomusicology, National Taiwan Normal University. Drawing from Macao's unique cultural geography, he systematically outlined the distinctive features of Macao's musical culture research. This included tracing the historical evolution and contemporary development of diverse musical forms such as ceremonial music, Macanese Creole music, Cantonese opera, and the octet percussion ensemble. He emphasized that Macao's music exemplifies the fusion of "Western music spreading eastward" and "Chinese music migrating southward", holding particular research value within the context of Greater Bay Area development. The interactive session following the lecture featured lively discussions among participating scholars on topics including the revitalization of Macao's traditional music and the development of music education. Dr. Hsu Hsin-wen, Director of the Graduate Institute of Ethnomusicology at National Taiwan Normal University, and Professor Dai Dingcheng reached a consensus to deepen cooperation in areas such as faculty and student exchanges, joint research projects, and academic publishing. This collaboration aims to establish a long-term mechanism for cross-strait academic exchange in music studies.

III. Emerging Scholars Take the Stage: Macao Perspectives Illuminate Academic Discourse

On November 15, the symposium officially commenced with three young scholars from City University of Macau—Wang Haitao, Shen Yutian, and Kou Jia—presenting their research under the guidance of Professor Dai Dingcheng and Professor Chien Chiao-Chen from Taiwan. Their contributions offered a vibrant Macao case study for cross-regional dialogue. Their research centered on the core themes of "locality" and "connectivity", aligning with current mainstream directions in ethnomusicology.

Wang Haitao's presentation, titled "Two Paradigms in Chinese Urban Music Studies: Shanghai and Macao: A Comparative Study of Documentation, Exploration, and Characteristics", positions Macao's music within the broader Chinese-speaking urban music framework. Through theoretical analysis, archival collation, and comparative research, he clearly delineates the distinctive characteristics of Shanghai's "Music Shanghai Studies" approach and Macao's culturally unique "multicultural symbiosis", offering a valuable analytical framework for similar studies. Shen Yutian focused on Macau's intangible cultural heritage, the Di Shui Nan Yin folk music. Her paper, "The History and Contemporary Transmission of Macau's Di Shui Nan Yin: Centered on National Intangible Cultural Heritage Bearer Ou Junxiang", transcended the limitations of traditional historical documentation. By centering on the bearer's practice, it documented Ou Junxiang's innovative attempts in performance and teaching, providing an empirical model for the "living transmission" of intangible cultural heritage. Kou Jia's "Cultural Adaptation and Self-Awareness in Urban Art Music of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan: A Case Study of Two Compositions by Hsu Chang-hui and Lam Lok Pui" analyzes the works "On the Night of the Twentieth Day of the Eighth Month, Enjoying the Courtyard Osmanthus with Cui Li" and "Uncle Suite". It reveals the divergent paths taken by art music in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan in integrating Western techniques with local cultures, thereby clarifying the regional positioning of Macau's art music.

The achievements of these three young scholars profoundly embody Professor Dai Dingcheng's academic philosophy of "rooting in Macao while embracing the broader Chinese-speaking world". Their participation not only secured recognition from Taiwanese academia for the depth and uniqueness of Macao's music research but also brought back invaluable insights—such as anthropological documentation methods and intangible cultural heritage preservation practices—offering fresh perspectives for local studies in Macao. As Chairperson You Suhuang stated at the closing ceremony, Macao scholars' research has introduced a new dimension of "East-West convergence" to Taiwan's ethnomusicology studies, poised to become a significant entry point for cross-strait and Macao collaborative research. Such cross-regional exchanges not only foster the growth of young scholars but also propel Macao's academic community from being a mere participant to becoming an active collaborator. This transformation strengthens the bridge for the inheritance and international dissemination of Chinese musical culture.

Author: Wang Haitao