Kaohsiung County Culture and Tourism Introduction - Neimen Songjiang Battle Array Folk Custom Performances

　　Reportedly, the scenes and characters of the Songjiang Battle Array are derived from the martial arts formations as described in the epic novel The Water Margin written by General Songgiang. A battle array is composed of 108 righteous heroes, who were transformed from 36 Tian-gang star gods and 72 Di-sha stars gods. The leader, directing the team with flag in the middle of the circle, is in charge of motions and different formations of the parade for different tactics, often accompanied with drums, gongs, and cymbals to cheer up the team members.

　　The Ming Dynasty General Chi Chi-Kung employed the mandarin duck tactic to train his army. His army, known for the army of Chi Family, was renowned for the excellent martial arts and strict discipline, successful in fighting against pirates. During the end of Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty, the citizens in Jhangjhou and Cyuanjhou of Fuken Province exercised the martial arts. The Qing government was so afraid of the aggravating army force to overthrow its own force that the government prohibited the public from exercising the martial arts.

　　In order to preserve its unique arts, Songjiang Battle Array is transformed for different function. The public appears to entertain the festivals with dancing tigers and lions but the public secretly exercises the martial arts. Songjiang Battle Array was first introduced to the agricultural society of southern ChiaNan Plain in Taiwan by the immigrants from Jhangjhou and Cyuanjhou. It is often performed as part of the parade in front of Buddha and Gods at the temple. At the leisure time, villagers exercise battle arrays for physical training to protect inner security. At the festivals, battle arrays function to protect the gods for safety tour in an attempt to unify the villagers and perform the martial arts.

　　Neimen Township, known as “Lohan Neimen” in the past, has some forty battle array teams. Neimen Township has the most vigorously developed folk parade culture and the highest density of performing troops in Taiwan. Known as town for Taiwanese Battle Arrays, Neimen has more than twenty Songjiang array teams, mostly formed by the followers of Guanyin Buddha at the Zihjhu Temple. With one hundred and forty years of history, Neimen Township is a very organized community with frequent exercise of martial arts performance. Every year after the Chinese lunar New Year, all villagers voluntarily participate to join in the one-month intensive performance training at the cost of their leisure time and own work in order to take part in the celebration of the Guanyin Buddha Birthday.

　　The blooming of Neimen Songjiang Battle Array partially originates from the essence of the martial arts exercise passed on from the military training of the Jheng Era in the Ming Dynasty. In addition, it originates from the tradition of defending against the outer invasion, which later develops into a unique battle array in guarding the inner public security against the environmental challenge. The name of Neimen as the Township of Righteous Men is then acquired.

　　Neimen Township Battle Array Culture has the most unique characteristics. In 1991, the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation in Taiwan has listed Neimen Songjiang Battle Array as one of the twelve folk festivals, and in 2005 it became the indispensable large scale array in Taiwan folk festivals. In 2005, The Kaohsiung County Government held the Collegial Battle Array Competition in an attempt to expand the grass-root battle array to younger students on campus. It aims to integrate the traditional folk arts with creation from the younger generation to positively pass on the inheritance of Neimen Songjiang Battle Array to other areas around the world.

　　Neimen Songjiang Battle Array groups have bloomed in the international arena. Since 2003, they have joined Rose Parade in the United States and Spring Make-up Performance Parade in Singapore and won great international reputation. In addition, they were invited by Gangneung-si Arts and Culture group to perform in Korea to promote the traditional Songjiang Battle Array culture.