■ EVENTS
BaLiwakes remembered
The Council for Cultural Affairs and the National Center for Traditional Arts will host two concerts on Saturday in commemoration of Puyuma tribe musician BaLiwakes, better known by his Chinese name Lu Shen-pao (陸森寶). BaLiwakes was born in 1910 and was trained in Western music. However, he insisted on writing his lyrics in the Puyuma language, council vice-chairman Wu Chin-fa (吳錦發) said during a press conference at the council to promote the concerts and to launch a biography of BaLiwakes. "He not only passed on his music, but also many poetic words and sentences in the Puyuma language" long lost in modern speech, Wu said. The concerts will be held from 6pm to 9:30pm on Saturday at the Tien Education Center Chapel in Sindian (新店) and the National Museum of Prehistory in Taitung.
■ EVENTS
Hakka photo exhibit opens
The Council of Hakka Affairs launched the "Hakka Impression 2007" photo exhibition at the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall yesterday. The changing lifestyle of Hakka over the past century and comparative points of view between two generations of photographers are the themes of the exhibition, council minister Lee Yung-teh (李永得) said at a press conference opening the exhibition. To showcase generational differences, the exhibition includes works by senior Hakka photographers as well as by those from the younger generation. In addition, six non-Hakka photographers were also invited to participate in the exhibition to provide an "outsider's" point of view, a council press release said. The event runs until Nov. 27.
■ DIPLOMACY
Ma to visit Japan
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will visit Japan from Nov. 20 to Nov. 22 to present his policies on economic development, staff from his election campaign said yesterday. Ma, who is expected to meet representatives from Japan's business and political sectors, will be accompanied by KMT Vice Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤), who maintains extensive ties with Japanese political and economic communities, Ma aides said. Last year, Ma visited Japan in his capacity as KMT chairman, the aides said, adding that this time, as a presidential hopeful, Ma would elaborate on his plans to transform Taiwan into a hub for financial services, trade and transportation in the Asia-Pacific region with stable cross-Taiwan Strait relations.
RSS