More than 60 monks from the Chinese mainland are in Taiwan performing Buddhist music together with their counterparts in the island province.

The monks will embark on a group tour to perform the enchanting music for both religious and secular audiences in China and other countries.

This will be the first time for Buddhist monks across the Taiwan Straits to jointly set up a troupe to perform Chinese Buddhist music worldwide, indicating a closer relationship between the groups.

The troupe will stage three performances in Taiwan before heading to Macao and Hong Kong as well as to Los Angeles and San Francisco in the United States and Vancouver in Canada.

The 100-odd monks who make the troupe come from a number of prestigious Buddhist sites including Mount Foguangshan in Taiwan, Shaolin Temple in Central China's Henan Province, Labrang Monastery in Northwestern China's Gansu Province and Main Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna of Southwestern China's Yunnan Province. Combined they represent the three branches of Buddhism in China -- Chinese, Tibetan and Pali Buddhism.

Buddhist music, which originated in ancient India, found its way into China some 2,000 years ago.

"The Buddhist music on the Chinese mainland has a more traditional flavour, while that in Taiwan is more appealing to a secular audience," said Chinese Art Institute Professor Tian Qing, an art director with the troupe.

Tian explained that this was because Buddhist music in Taiwan also combined chanting and dancing after it arrived there from the Chinese mainland.

He added that he was confident that the joint performances would be fascinating to audiences as all genres of Chinese Buddhist music would be showcased as well as displays of the renowned Shaolin martial arts.

"Both Buddhism and Buddhist music on the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have the same roots, although they differ a little bit in form," said Reverend Sheng Hui, vice-president of the Chinese Buddhism Association, and head of the troupe. Sheng is also master of Nanputuo Temple in Xiamen of East China's Fujian Province.

(China Daily February 19, 2004)