Drift to Danshui (流浪到淡水)

Two blind performers, guitarist Jin Men-wang (金門王) and his accordion-playing musical cohort Li Bing-hui (李炳輝), left an indelible print on Taiwan.

Jin, whose real name was Wang Ying-tan (王英坦), lost his left hand and eyesight on the island of Kinmen at the age of fourteen when a package he found turned out to be an explosive device. Undeterred, he turned down government assistance and performed various jobs, including telephone operator, to support himself; due to his passion for music, he strapped iron sheets onto his left arm and taught himself how to play the guitar. Danshui native Li heard Jin crooning by the river and the two began performing together, rising to stardom with their unique brand of Taiwanese folk songs.

This dynamic duo is well-known on Taiwan for their Taiwanese karaoke super-hit, “Drift to Danshui” (流浪到淡水), ("You've come to dance, I've come to sing, whatever our fate may be, everyone come together and raise a glass, cheers!") Unfortunately, Jin passed away from a heart ailment at the age of 49 on May 5, 2002.

Li, who had once supported himself by giving massages, now runs a successful chain of local parlors. Many of his employees are also blind, as seeing-impaired masseuses are known for their preciseness. You could still hear their music and spot photos and other memorabilia of the two performers around Danshui.

Watch the video for “Drift to Danshui” (流浪到淡水) here.

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