The Shih Ho-cheng Folk Culture Foundation was established as a non-profit organization on June 16, 1980. Our initial objectives were to preserve, promote and perform research on Zidixi (子弟戲) 、Budaixi (布袋戲), Zengtou (陣頭) and other forms of performance art associated with temple festivals. Among our early activities was the organization of a Beiguan (北管) workshop at Lingan Temple (靈安社) for Chinese Culture University (文化大學) students. Participants subsequently performed throughout Taiwan.
In 1991, Dr Li Yi-yuan (李亦園) of Academia Sinica presented three recommendations at the 10th anniversary conference for the Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore (民俗曲藝, Min-su ch’ü-i). He proposed that the Foundation should expand its vision to encompass any cultural phenomenon, broaden its range of research topics to include religion and religious rituals, and explore research opportunities in mainland China in addition to Taiwan.
As the Foundation began adopting Dr Li's recommendations, the Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore evolved from a reporting-oriented magazine into a scholarly publication.
In addition, starting in 1994, the Foundation has published more than 80 volumes in our Monograph Series of Studies in Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore. A majority of these works have resulted from a large-scale research project sponsored by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange and the National Science Council. Under the direction of Professors Wang Ch'iu-kuei of Tsing Hua University, John Lagerway of École Pratique des Hautes Études and David Holm of University of Melbourne, the project and the results it has produced have won wide acclaim in the international Sinology community.
In recent years the Foundation has focused on facilitating academic exchange among Taiwanese, mainland Chinese and international scholars. In addition to hosting numerous conferences and exhibitions, we have striven to make the Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore a world-class scholarly publication. In short, our current mission is to support academic research and scholarly exchange within and beyond Taiwan.