Paper Pinwheel Theater Troupe: Don Quixote Blowing Taiwan's Dreams—An Artistic Expedition Spanning Three Decades

30-Second Overview: Paper Pinwheel is not just a performing group; it is a civic experiment about "goodness and passion." Founded by Lee Yung-feng, Ko Yi-cheng, Luo Bei-an, Wu Jing-ji, and Xu Li-gong in 1992, its name symbolizes the spirit of "proactively chasing dreams." Through a unique community adoption model, they toured all 368 townships across Taiwan, bringing works that integrate púdàixì (shadow puppetry), folk arts, and modern theater to remote areas. Even after the Huli fire in 2020 and sinking into debt exceeding hundreds of millions, founder Lee Yung-feng insisted amidst depression that "Taiwan needs children's theater for Taiwan," leading the team to rebirth from the ashes, weaving the collective memory of this island with the giant Rain Horse and local stories, so that every child in Taiwan can have the equal right to access art.

In November 1992, during a winter night in Taipei, a group of young intellectuals gathered to weave a mad dream. Among them were Lee Yung-feng, who had recently left the Green Light Theater Troupe, as well as filmmakers Xu Li-gong, director Ko Yi-cheng, editor Luo Bei-an, and scholar Wu Jing-ji ^{1 2}. This group wanted to do something different for Taiwan: create children's theater belonging to Taiwanese children. The troupe was named "Paper Pinwheel," which implies extreme purity—the pinwheel symbolizes a child's dream; even if as ordinary as paper, it can spin with the wind; and if there is no wind, it runs by itself to create wind ^{1 3}. This grassroots resilience of "move when there is wind, create wind when there isn't" became the core spirit that guided the troupe through countless storms over the next three decades.

Founding Background: The Theatrical Fantasy Emerging from Green Light and the Promise of the "First Mile"

In the early days of Paper Pinwheel, Taiwan's performing arts scene was still in a phase focused on "encouraging ticket sales to theaters," with extremely limited funding and audiences. Lee Yung-feng and the early members largely had professional theater backgrounds but chose to dedicate themselves to children's theater—a field considered marginal at the time ². They were unwilling to let children's theater be mere preaching; instead, they hoped that through professional production, children could encounter aesthetics while laughing. This insistence allowed Paper Pinwheel to consecutively win the ticket sales championship in both major theaters for many years after its founding, yet it also kept founder Lee Yung-feng constantly pondering: can art only serve city children who can afford tickets? ^{1 4}

Lee Yung-feng was one of the founding members of the Green Light Theater Troupe and had worked in the theater community with Ko Yi-cheng and Luo Bei-an for many years. In 1992, he gathered this group of like-minded artists to establish the "Paper Pinwheel Workshop" as an administrative center for performing arts, and simultaneously founded the "Paper Pinwheel Theater Troupe," with him serving as director and chief editor, focusing on original Taiwanese children's plays ¹. In 1998, the "Paper Pinwheel Foundation for Culture and Education" was officially established to integrate more resources, nurture theatrical talent and audiences, and build the "first mile" of art for Taiwanese children.

The Artistic Expedition: The "Adoption" Revolution of 319 and Echoes of Local Stories in 368

In 2006, Lee Yung-feng launched the "319 Rural Children's Art Project," which shook the arts and culture community. What made this project unique was its fundraising model: it adopted a "one township, one enterprise; one township, one group" adoption system ^{1 4}. As long as a township raised approximately NT$350,000 to NT$450,000 in donations, Paper Pinwheel would bring its large truck and set up a theater-grade stage at the local elementary school playground or temple courtyard ⁴.

📝 Curator's Note: This was not just a donation; it was a redemption of the hometown. Lee Yung-feng once shared that many entrepreneurs who had left home returned to remote areas to watch performances, and the audience members were their childhood friends and neighbors. The stage that night connected broken local memories, allowing them to reestablish an emotional connection with their hometown ¹.

After completing the first round of 319 township tours in 2011, Paper Pinwheel did not stop. In 2013, the project evolved into the "368 Townships and Urban Areas Children's Art Project," delving deeper into every administrative district, and incorporating "local stories" tailored for each county and city ⁴. These stories made children realize that heroes are not far away; they are in their own hometown:

• Yilan: Depicting the myth of Gamalan Princess and Turtle General, presenting the connection between the Lanyang Plain and Guishan Island ⁵.
• Tainan: Narrating the dedication story of Dr. Wang Jin-he, the "Father of Clubfoot," highlighting humanitarian concern ¹.
• Pingtung: Paying tribute to Taiwanese musician Hsiao Tai-ran, conveying love for the land through musical theater ¹.

Objects and Symbols: From Wu Ding's Treasure Chest to the Giant Rain Horse

The style of Paper Pinwheel's works is highly characteristic of Taiwan. They excel at weaving traditional elements into modern theater, creating unique visual and emotional experiences:

• Wu Ding: This character, who calls herself "the most experienced witch in all of Taiwan," is a shared memory for countless Taiwanese children. Her signature lines—"action and sound"—always instantly bridge the gap between the stage and the audience, leading viewers into a magical theatrical world ¹.
• Rain Horse: This giant art installation, 10 meters tall and weighing 7 tons, is Paper Pinwheel's most representative "object" in recent years. Adapted from Xiao Ye's namesake picture book, the blue horse body is inlaid with Hakka indigo dyeing and patterns, symbolizing cross-ethnic integration and love. Its creation combines large-scale art installation, Hakka music, fire dance, acrobatics, and theatrical lighting effects. The stage breaks away from traditional proscenium structures, allowing it to move flexibly among the audience, giving viewers a distinctly different viewing experience ^{6 7}.
• Cultural Integration: Paper Pinwheel integrates local Taiwanese elements such as púdàixì (shadow puppetry), folk arts, temple fair culture, and traditional opera into modern children's plays. For example, Ne Zha Tossing the Dragon Palace incorporates traditional shadow puppetry; Wu Song Fighting the Tiger integrates folk arts and the hall-show style of "ground sweeping"; and The Legend of White Snake is presented through lantern displays ^{1 2}. They have revived traditional culture in children's plays, making it a bridge for children to understand their own culture.
• Diverse Works List: In addition to the works mentioned above, Paper Pinwheel has created many popular classics, including the "Twelve Zodiac Series" (such as Wu Song Fighting the Tiger, Ne Zha Tossing the Dragon Palace, and Chicken City Stories) and the "Witch Series" (such as Wu Ding Travels the World, Paper Pinwheel Fantasy Symphony, and Taiwan Fantasy Symphony) ¹. These works are not only memories of growth for many Taiwanese children but also demonstrate the troupe's inexhaustible creative energy.

Rebirth from Fire: Don Quixote Dancing Amidst Depression and Debt

However, this artistic expedition of the Don Quixotes was not smooth sailing. Founder Lee Yung-feng once suffered from depression and debt pressures exceeding hundreds of millions ⁸. He once self-deprecatingly said: "He is someone who tries to make children happy but is trapped in a midlife crisis of depression." ⁹ In June 2020, an unforgiving fire destroyed the decades of props at the Huli studio, including costumes for classic works like Don Quixote and Paper Pinwheel Fantasy Symphony ^{10 11}. The subsequent COVID-19 pandemic halted all physical performances, placing the troupe in an unprecedented survival crisis ⁴.

"Paper Pinwheel belongs to everyone; it cannot fall!" This slogan echoed across Taiwan after the fire. In the most difficult moments, over 170,000 small donations poured in, allowing Paper Pinwheel to rise from the ashes within six months, re-producing props and returning before children ⁴. Lee Yung-feng said: "Instead of worrying, let's take action!" ¹² This selfless passion led Paper Pinwheel not only to tour domestically but also abroad to the United States, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hungary, demonstrating the vitality of original Taiwanese children's theater to the world ^{1 4}.

Social Impact: Weaving the Psychological Resilience and Cultural Equity of the Island

The role of the Paper Pinwheel Foundation for Culture and Education has long transcended that of a mere troupe. The multiple projects they promoted have become deeply rooted in Taiwanese society, forming an important cultural force:

1. Youth Anti-Drug Theater Project: Touring over 82% of junior high schools nationwide with the play Saving Faust, establishing campus anti-drug defense through enjoyable performances, allowing students to absorb anti-drug concepts subtly ⁴.
2. Taiwan Rural Truck Art Project: Collaborating with enterprises to convert trucks into mobile stages, bringing various art teams deep into smaller villages, realizing true art equity, and integrating culture into daily life ¹.
3. International Exchange: Paper Pinwheel has performed in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hungary, introducing Taiwanese culture to overseas audiences and enhancing Taiwan's visibility in the international arts community ^{1 4}.
4. Talent Cultivation: Over 32 years, they have nurtured over a thousand professional theatrical talents, becoming an important cradle for the performing arts in Taiwan and injecting continuous vitality into Taiwanese theater ¹.
5. Changing the Children's Theater Ecosystem: Paper Pinwheel changed the situation where children's theater was only performed in cities; they cultivated a large audience of young viewers, increasing societal attention to children's art education, and becoming one of Taiwan's most representative children's theater groups ^{1 13}.

📝 Curator's Note: Lee Yung-feng is often called "Lee America." His grassroots and powerful drive changed the ecosystem of Taiwanese children's theater. He made society see that children's art is not a luxury but the foundation of civic education, which is the psychological resilience for Taiwanese children to face the challenges of the future ¹.

The movement of Paper Pinwheel relies not just on the wind, but also on the goodness of all Taiwanese people who jointly protect the smiles of children. As Lee Yung-feng said when completing the 319 tour: "This is a memory written by over 30,000 donors, 210 million in donations, a journey spanning 290,000 kilometers, and nearly 800,000 audiences." ¹ This artistic expedition continues to move forward in every corner of Taiwan, continuously blowing the dreams of Taiwanese children.

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