From the staging of one play, the historical fight against the French has taken on new meaning and vitality in Tamsui.

Jiang–Wu Jingyu (right), who is 81, has performed in productions of The Legend of Sino–French War in Tamsui for six years running. The photo shows her in costume as a Qing soldier in 2012.

When older Taiwanese speak of the fight against the French, they are referring to the battles between French and Qing forces in the period from August 1884 to June 1885. The French navy fought Qing forces at Kee­lung, Penghu, and Huwei (today’s Tam­sui). The battle at Hu­wei became especially well known in later years. There the people of Tam­sui joined together to help defeat the French. This was the only time the Qing defeated a foreign power in Taiwan.

But there is more to the episode than just a military victory. George Leslie Mackay, a Canadian missionary who came to Taiwan in the 1870s, established the island’s first hospital of Western medicine in Tam­sui. Mackay Hospital treated injured soldiers during the conflict.

Yet, with the passage of time, memories of the struggle against the French had grown hazy. A century and a half on, for most people it rang only the vaguest of bells.

In 2010, Tai­pei County was made a special municipality and renamed New Tai­pei City, and the township of Tam­sui became one of its districts. Current New Tai­pei City councilor Tsai Yeh-wei previously served as Tam­sui’s township mayor, during which time he long wanted to stage a play about the fight against the French. Since it was a story about the people of Tam­sui, they should be the ones to perform it.

“Plucking up the courage to get up on stage and speak loudly is a victory in itself,” says Golden Bough artistic director Wang Rong-yu, who has much respect for the citizen actors of The Legend of Sino–French War in Tamsui.

That dream was realized in 2009 when, under Tsai’s leadership, the township office pushed the idea of “citizens’ environmental theater.” Locals were asked to try out for parts in an outdoor production of The Legend of Sino–French War in Tam­sui at Hobe Fort Park during the Tam­sui International Environmental Arts Festival. The idea quickly earned the support of local theater troupes, including the Golden Bough Theatre, the Sun Son Theatre, the Genio Dance Group and the Teenager Performing Arts League. Veteran actress Shen Hai-jung agreed to serve as a consultant and Golden Bough founder Wang Rong-yu signed on as artistic director.

Environmental theater emphasizes placing productions in real-world settings, thus smashing the barrier between audience and performer. It invites the audience to move from being observers to being participants. Golden Bough, which moved to Tam­sui in 2001, performed Troy, Troy… Taiwan, 1997 at the First Tai­pei Brewery (now Hua­shan 1914 Creative Park) in 1997. After setting down roots in Tam­sui, the company performed Troy, Troy… Taiwan, 2005 and My Ancestors’ Stories at Hobe Fort Park, burnishing their image as a company specializing in performances at historic sites.

For Wang, the biggest challenge in performing The Legend of Sino–French War in Tam­sui was the recruitment and training of local actors. A big outdoor performance would require 100–200 local thespians. Where would they find them?

The Amazing Journey of Five-Tiger Hill, a work of environmental theater put on by the citizens of Tamsui in 2012, includes scenes about George Mackay and the struggle against the French adapted from The Legend of Sino-French War in Tamsui, as well as depictions of the exploits of pirate Cai Qian and other episodes in Tamsui’s history.

“Tamsui people performing Tam­sui stories? Of course that makes sense! It was only after the decision was made that we thought: ‘Uh-oh. What if no one wants to act?’” So recalls ­Huang Yue­xiang, who worked at the township office. She was the only government staffer working on the festival. “It’s all about letting your passion propel you forward, and not worrying too much at first about how things may end up,” she says with a smile.

Huang put out the first appeals for local actors to audition in the middle of 2009. She enlisted neighborhood chiefs to help get the word out. And she went to talk to the old women of the community, encouraging them to participate.

The play needed young actors too, but they were hard to find. It was a big headache for Wang. So in the heat of July and August, ­Huang went with him to various schools in Tam­sui to ask the principals and the faculty advisors of school clubs to help him find young performers. Sometimes they’d start as early as seven in the morning. As soon as they got a principal on the phone who had time to talk, the two would put on their motorcycle helmets and rush over.

Three months before the performances, they finally had signed up the 200 needed actors. The first time they were all gathered together, it was clear that women greatly outnumbered men. Children and seniors were also overrepresented.

It may have been a motley crew, but Wang insisted they act like professionals. They had three-hour rehearsals twice a week, and full rehearsals and dress rehearsals before performances. During rehearsals the actors were even given history classes on topics related to the struggle with the French.

Huang says the structure of rehearsals that Wang set up became the template for future productions of The Legend of Sino–French War in Tam­sui. Since 2009, the play has been put on six times at the Tam­sui International Environmental Arts Festival, each time drawing an audience of nearly 2000. In 2012, they gave the show a new “action theater” twist, with a performance on the banks of the Dan­shui River. The play comprises four stories, which describe the fight against the French and the establishment of Mackay Hospital, the “Taiwanese Robin Hood” Liao Tian­ding, the pirate Cai Qian, and the deity Bao­sheng Dadi (god of medicine).

In reality, the citizen actors have been a major reason for the play’s success. ­Jiang–Wu ­Jingyu, 81, has been performing in the show for six years. After playing a Qing soldier for four years, in 2013 she switched to playing a grandmother.

“We shouldn’t leave. The Buddha will protect us!” In the play her son implores her to go up in the mountains and hide from the advancing French soldiers, but with these words she expresses her determination to stay. After the victory, she and Dr. Mackay pray together that the lonely souls of those killed in the war can quickly ascend to Heaven.

For six years running, Su Wen-kuei has put on a fake beard to play Dr. Mackay. In truth, there could be no better choice for this role. Under the guidance of George William Mackay (George Leslie’s son), Su’s family converted to Christianity. Later, they would throw themselves into researching Mackay and gathering related historical materials. Su jokes, “No one would dare to try to take this role from me.”

Sister and brother Gao Siyu and Gao Cheng­hong, respectively nine and five years old, have signed up to act for the last two years. The first time around, they played villagers. Last year, Siyu played a tree spirit, and her brother a shadow boxing master. Their mother, Chen Li­wen, is a Tam­sui native, but previously knew little of the history of the conflict with the French. She says that taking part in the performance has given her children a new maturity and strengthened their desire to learn about the world around them.

There is special meaning in having the people of Tam­sui act in a play about the fight against the French. The Legend of Sino–French War in Tam­sui will be performed for its seventh annual run in October. With its sunsets, historic sites and views of Mt. Guan­yin, Tam­sui has a lot of scenic beauty. This historical drama is another thing of beauty, well deserving of civic pride. Its beauty comes from the passion of its actors. It doesn’t matter if now and then they botch their lines or stage directions—because this is truly an art of the common people.