- TAIWANTODAY.TW - Top News - 01/Jul 00:00

Winners of National Cultural Award honored in Taipei

The winners of the 44th National Cultural Award were honored July 10 in Taipei City for their contributions to preserving Taiwan’s traditional artistry and culture.   According to the Executive Yuan, this year’s award recipients are renowned Hakka author Wu Cheng, veteran Hakka mason Fu Ming-kuang and popular Taiwanese opera performer Yang Li-hua.   During the award presentation ceremony, Premier Cho Jung-tai thanked the honorees for their lifelong dedication to their respective fields. He praised Wu as a patriotic poet, commended Fu for his mastery in restoration and lauded Yang for playing characters that reflect the traditional virtues of loyalty, filial piety, integrity and righteousness.   Wu has been a prominent voice in native literature since the 1970s, producing nearly 100 poems that portray rural life while reflecting on societal changes and the experiences of ordinary individuals. He is also a passionate advocate for environmental sustainability and human rights.   As a key figure in architectural heritage preservation, Fu has dedicated his life to repairing traditional Hakka buildings, relics and temples, passing on his skills and promoting Taiwan’s cultural traditions. He was recognized by the MOC in 2016 as a preserver of traditional construction techniques.   With a career spanning outdoor theater, radio, television and film over nearly 70 years, Yang has profoundly influenced the field by introducing Taiwanese opera to new audiences at home and abroad and inspiring younger generations to follow in her footsteps. She also made history by bringing the traditional art form to the National Theater Hall in 1991. (SFC-E)   Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw