Handstand performer tours Taiwan to inspire
Ming-cheng Huang does a handstand on the back of a scooter in this undated photograph taken in southern Yunlin County.(Photo courtesy of Ming-cheng Huang)
You may not have heard the name Ming-cheng Huang, but you must have seen his photographs which show him doing handstands in weird and dangerous places around the country.
The Taiwanese 28-year-old has had photos of him taken doing handstands in places near cliffs, on rocks in the sea, on top of roofs, and even on the back of a scooter, which were all shot during his five-month round-the-island-tour which concluded a year ago.
The southern Pingtung County-born dancer and stuntman is not crazy, just in case you were wondering; he was simply pursuing his dream and fulfilling his natural talent of doing a handstand, which according to him, is a born gift.
“Since the age of 13, I have dreamed about standing on my head and taking pictures,” Huang said. At the age of 13, Huang was already renowned for his acrobatic skills when he won the first international prize for Taiwan in one of the world's four major stunt events in China.
During his 20,000-km trip, Huang worked as a street entertainer to fund the project that had taken him to spots all over the country, leaving 12,000 of such unique photographs.
The performances were not just to show his acrobatic talents, however, Huang was also hoping that the somewhat strange but inspiring shows could encourage more people to realize their dreams.
Across-country tour to send messages
“I want to convey three main ideas to Taiwanese people with the tour,” Huang said.
“One is that I find most Taiwanese people are only doing their jobs for the money, instead of fulfilling their talents.”
Second, Huang said he would like to encourage all to follow their heart by facing and ultimately accomplishing their dreams.
“I believe everyone should live the life they choose, instead of following another's footsteps,” he said.
Last but not least, he said he wants to highlight the importance of environmental protection in Taiwan.
“We all love Taiwan's landscape and environment, but we don't know how to protect them,” he said.
Therefore, during his street entertaining trip, Huang not only performed handstands and hand-walking for entertainment, he also displayed the photographs he took on some of the most beautiful sceneries and the ugliest parts of Taiwan to remind all the importance of environmental protection.
“If people do not get that and just feel happy watching my show, that's fine with me. But if people can get some inspiration and then start living a life they choose, then that is much better.”
Huang, also known as “Mr. Candle,” a nickname he came up with after he showed the logo of himself standing upside-down to friends.
“They all said the logo looks like a candle but I was actually drawing my handstand,” he said. But he later found the nickname suit him very well.
“We can use it everywhere, and also it symbolizes that it can give people light,” he noted.
Using handstands to search for one's true self
The enthusiastic Mr. Candle, however, was not always that good in following his heart. Like many people, he used to work for money.
For three years, he worked as a salesperson in recruiting students for cram schools in Taipei before he chose another life to enter university to become a dancer and stuntman.
“My superior in the cram school told me that you are nothing if you have no money, which prompted me to earn more money,” he said.
But ultimately, he felt tired and emptiness in pursing such material happiness as he began to question what is that he really wants in life and if living is only about making money? Then 21-year-old Huang ultimately decided to quit and studied stage and circus stunts at National Taiwan College of Performing Arts.
Following graduation, he joined the Lafa Dance Company in 2008, and toured around Taiwan and to New York.
Huang described these unique experiences as a turning point in his life, during which he rediscovered the happiness he had in his youth when doing stunts and hand-standing.
Realizing life is too short to waste in doing things he doesn't like, Huang, following eight months of preparation, officially launched the unprecedented project that began on March 13, 2010 in his hometown Pingtung County.
The journey ultimately allowed him to travel across the country, including outlying Penghu, Matzu and Kinmen.
During the tour, many told Huang that he or she was inspired by his performance and photographs and gain more courage to do what they really want, he said.
Mr. Candle to light the world
Currently drafting his second Taiwan-crossing tour, which is scheduled to begin next year and is expected to last for two years, Huang disclosed that his ultimate goal is to travel around the world in this fashion for a 15-year-tour.
Like his nickname Mr. Candle, suggests, Huang wishes to shine light to more people around the world with his shows and photographs taken from his unique perspective.
With himself as an example, Huang encouraged all to boldly pursue their dreams and to find the reason for one to be born in this world.
“It's only a matter of how bad you really want to realize your dream,” he said. “If you are hungry enough, you will find it at any cost,” he said.
Calling for a swift action to follow one's heart, Huang reminded that a person is their own worst enemy and instead of finding excuses, one should start the dream-searching tour as soon as possible.
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Voyage in Time 《時間之旅》 Trailer - English subtitle
Nominated for the 14th Taipei Film Festival, Best Documentary
Ming-Cheng started his ambitious plan about shooting photos of himself handstand in different places around the world at the age of 26. In 2-3 years, his first voyage was accomplished with a series of breathtaking photos featuring characteristic Taiwanese scenery, street view and local people. His production "Transparent Kingdom " inspired by this journey was awarded the Jury's special award of the remarkable Taishin art prize.
We see him climbing on a gigantic rock, jumping on a bridge, or being in the morning traffic of Taipei. Ming-Cheng handstands with his dream, what lies behind this typical inspiring story of chasing dreams is the unbearable loneliness during the voyage in time, or in life.
從小練馬戲特技的台灣年輕人黃明正， 在26歲時和所有人說他要用賣藝環遊世界十五年，並拍攝一系列的倒立照片，周邊的人對他的夢想藍圖感到不可置信，因為此時他甚至還不會用數位單眼。兩年後，他完成五個月的環台計畫並創作《透明之國》演出， 隨即獲得台新藝術獎的肯定，接著出書、策劃雜技藝術節、並且登上TED講述自己的夢想...
宛如勵志電影般的情節背後，鏡頭帶著我們回到旅程現場－烈日下沙灘上、清晨與黃昏、討生活的小販、慈祥的民宿媽媽...我們遠遠地看著他爬上巨岩、跳上吊橋、在車水馬龍中，倒立著。追逐夢想的過程，並非永遠七彩夢幻；掌聲和歡呼背後，命題已不僅是夢想，而是在時間的洪流中，一個渺小的人因為存在所感到的極大孤獨。
Director's Statement of Voyage in Time
For a documentary, time, can be the best friend and the enemy at the same time.
From the first time I heard about Ming-Cheng's ambitious plan, then the journey started followed by all his successful performances, amazing achievements and those dazzling awards. Until the latest interview, he talked about feeling the unbearable loneliness lies behind the applause, how he starts to find the true happiness and love at this stage of his life. Time gives the length for a story to develop, and the space to let us look back.
I found more and more lines on his face during the shooting and editing this film, it seems to me that time has left deeper traces on his face than the map he took with him during the voyage.
《時間之旅》導演的話
時間，可能是一部紀錄片最好的朋友或敵人。
從第一次聽到明正的環台 計劃，到旅程開始、演出、獲獎，種種令人目不暇給的"成功故事"。到最近一次跟他聊天/訪問，談到旅程中及掌聲背後極度的孤獨和最近重新尋找的快樂和愛。
時間除了給予了長度讓故事發生，更給了空間讓人回頭望去。
我看著他的臉在影片當中明顯的越來越多線條。似乎，比起那本跟著他跑遍台灣的地圖，留下了更深刻的時間的痕跡。
《時間之旅》Voyage in Time
周東彥 CHOU Tung-Yen
台灣 Taiwan│2012│HDCAM│Colour│59min
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