Prominent cultural figures and friends gathered yesterday for the funeral of poet Chou Meng-tieh (周夢蝶) in Taipei, where they recalled the life of the meditative poet and celebrated the man and his beautiful creations.
Chou died on May 1 at age 92 due to complications from pneumonia.
Those who came to pay their respects placed a flower inside the poet’s casket. Admirers and people close to him spoke about Chou’s contributions to literature.
Photo: Pan Shao-tang, Taipei Times
Poet Hsiang Ming (向明) dedicated a poem to his longtime friend, recalling Chou’s bright eyes that “never lost focus” despite the passage of time.
“He chose to be a poet after having been through war. He not only wrote poetry — his life was a poem itself,” writer Chang Show-foong (張曉風) said.
Also in attendance was Culture Minister Lung Ying-tai (龍應台), who praised the late poet for his personality as well as his works.
“His poetry, character and perseverance are like a national flag for Taiwan — a flag that represents beauty and pureness, and depth of heart,” Lung said.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Timothy Yang (楊進添) presented a posthumous presidential citation for Chou to the late poet’s friend Tseng Chin-feng (曾進豐).
The citation called Chou an “undying legend” of Taiwan’s cultural history, praising his works for capturing the essence of Zen Buddhism and enriching contemporary Chinese poetry.
Chou was born Chou Chi-shu (周起述) in China’s Henan Province in 1921.
He joined the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) China Youth Corps during the Chinese Civil War and came to Taiwan in 1948 with the party, leaving behind his wife, children and mother.
He began selling poetry and books in Taipei in 1959, the same year he published his first collection of poems, Gu Du Guo (“Lonely Land”), which became one of his most important works.
In 1997 he was named the first literature laureate of the National Culture and Arts Foundation.
His poems are deeply influenced by Buddhist thought and have a meditative quality. They often touch on subjects of time, life and death.
Chou wrote more than 400 poems, which have been published in Taiwan and overseas, including in China, the US, France and South Korea.
He was known for living a simple and low-key life. He never remarried and had no relatives in Taiwan.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
RSS