Vice Premier Cheng shared that during his previous term as Mayor of Taoyuan, the Chung Chao-Cheng Literary Awards were established in addition to the publication of Chung Chao-Cheng Complete Works and other titles. Furthermore, the Chung-Chao-cheng Literary Park was built in collaboration with HAC, inspired by the Tongxue Alley from the novel The Dull-Ice Flower to enable people to experience and walk into literary landscapes.
Minister Yiong said that philosophy and literature are the soul of a people and nation. Taiwan is not only concerned about the thriving semiconductor industry, a pillar of the country: there’s also literature! Chung Chao-Cheng was a literary author and translator of Japanese literature. He was also a key figure in the Taiwanese literature movement and participant in the social movement of Taiwanese national consciousness. Hakka writers have played a prominent role in Taiwanese literature. The Romantic Route 3 program has promoted establishment of a number of venues, from the Tu Pan Fang-ko Literary Memorial Museum, Teng Yu-hsien Music Culture Park, Chung-Chao-cheng Literary Park, Long Ying-zong Literary Memorial Museum, and Zhan Bing Literary Museum to the Lee Chiao Library. It also oversees the translation of many Hakka literary works to various languages. The goal is to build a solid foundation for Taiwanese literature and strengthen Taiwan’s soft power. This is also the best way to pay tribute to Chung Chao-Cheng.
Chung Chao-Cheng was born in a Hakka village in Taoyuan, a member of the first generation of Taiwanese writers post World War II. His masterpieces include Muddy Water Trilogy, Taiwanese Trilogy, and The Dull-Ice Flower. Revered as the “Mother of Taiwanese Literature”, he was a fierce advocate of the Return My Mother Tongue movement, successfully advancing the establishment of the Formosa Hakka Radio and indirectly leading to the birth of HAC and Hakka TV, both major contributions to Taiwan. On the death centenary of such a remarkable individual, the Literary Promotion Association of Taiwan Chung Chao Cheng organized this international academic symposium alongside the Department of Japanese Language and Culture, Soochow University to commemorate Chung Chao-Cheng. For more information, visit the Facebook page: https://reurl.cc/D4o9eO.
