To applaud those who are
devoted to Hakka affairs, the inaugural Hakka Affairs Professional Medal (客家事務專業獎章) awards ceremony was held at Taiwan Hakka Museum
in Miaoli on Dec. 23.
At the ceremony, Hakka
Affairs Council (HAC) Minister Lee Yung-de presented the accolades to 153 awardees
from a variety of fields for their unconditional dedication to Hakka culture.
These exceptional winners include Ho Chau-chu (何肇衢), an
internationally acclaimed artist; Liu Yung-bin (劉永斌), former
president of Taiwanese Hakka Association of the World (世界臺灣客家聯合總會); Ku
Shao-chi (古少騏), a documentary film director;
Paul Shiang (向盛言), an anchor of Hakka TV; Chen
Ming-chu (陳明珠), a popular television
presenter; Li Kun-chin (李坤錦) and Li
Tung-lin (李東霖), linguistic preservers of the Hakka
Zhao’an accent; Li Qiu-xia (李秋霞), a singer of Hakka mountain songs; and Chang Fang-tsu (張芳慈), a notable Hakka poet.
Regarding the event as an appreciation ceremony, Minister Lee sincerely
thanked these outstanding heroes for their long-term promotion of Hakka culture
and attempts to increase the visibility of this distinctive heritage, stressing
that they are admirable role models in Taiwan’s Hakka community.
Lee elaborated upon two incidents that gave rise to this year’s
commendation ceremony. Firstly, despite the regulations on Professional Medal
bestowment, the medal was mostly given to the deceased as posthumous
recognition in the past, he explained. However, after gathering feedback from
the public, HAC adopted a decision to bestow the medal to those who are still
alive and committed to Hakka affairs, the minister said, adding that officially
commending the awardees at a formal occasion is much more meaningful.
Secondly, Minister Lee mentioned his encounter two years ago with a friend
who told him of the sense of pride upon receiving the insignia of the Knight
ranking in the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres)
from the French Ministry of Culture for his promotion of bilateral exchanges
between France and Taiwan.
The story of his friend inspired the minister to lead the HAC team to
launch the first edition of the ceremony, and Lee vows to continue to honor and
celebrate the great contributions made by people who are passionate about
promoting Hakka culture.
