Hakka Affairs Council Minister Lee Yung-de attended the opening ceremony of Lishan Art Camp (笠山文學營) in Kaohsiung’s Meinong District on July 7. The annual event, which has been held at the Chung Li-he Museum (鍾理和紀念館) since 1996, took place from July 7 to 9. It aims to promote the literary works by late Hakka novelist Chung Li-he (鍾理和) as well as those of other Taiwanese writers. Every year, this summer camp attracts many participants who are interested in reading and creative writing.

As a fellow Meinong native, Minister Lee commended the Chung Li-he Culture and Education Foundation (鍾理和文教基金會) for organizing the three-day event to cultivate local residents’ interest in literature over the years. Lee added that, in addition to its natural beauty, Meinong’s humanistic warmth and sensitivity nurtured by Chung’s literary creations are crowning features of the region’s unique culture.

Lee recalled that, after graduating from college, he returned to his hometown to work at “Meinong Weekly (美濃周刊),” the first community newspaper in Taiwan at that time. He also mentioned the experience of taking part in fundraisers for the local newspaper, and that he understands how difficult it is for the foundation to survive. Despite the challenges, it still persists to enrich and inspire communities in Meinong through cultural and literary programs, added Lee.

Lee noted that Chung Tie-min (鍾鐵民), son of Chung Li-he, inherited his father’s talent for writing and achieved his own potential by becoming one of the luminaries in the Taiwanese literary scene. The foundation reflects the spirit of passing on Taiwan’s Hakka and literary heritage to younger generations, and the Minister anticipates that the camp will continue to enlighten and invigorate promising writers.

The theme of this year’s camp is “Literature and Social Movements,” echoing the history of the establishment of the Chung Li-he Museum and its foundation, for a group of literary giants initiated a petition to build the museum and preserve Chung’s legacy four decades ago. As the literary stronghold in this area, the foundation exerts an enlightening influence on local communities.