A doyen of Taiwan’s “nativist literature movement,” Chung Chao-cheng (鍾肇政) passed away at his home in Taoyuan on Saturday, his family said. He was 95.
Chung’s son Chung Yen-wei (鍾延威) said the family discovered Chung not breathing at about 7pm.
Despite his father’s age, he was in relatively stable health over the past few years, Chung Yen-wei said.
Photo: Chen Ching-min, Taipei Times
The family said it is deeply saddened and shocked by his sudden passing, and is preparing for his funeral.
Born in Taoyuan’s Longtan (龍潭) in 1925 during Japanese colonial rule, Chung Chao-cheng, a Hakka, was widely considered the doyen of the literature movement. He was most famous for his works The Dull Ice Flower (魯冰花), the Turbid Waters Trilogy (濁流三部曲) and the Taiwanese Trilogy (台灣人三部曲).
Director Yang Li-kuo (楊立國) adapted The Dull Ice Flower into a film, released in 1989, that was nominated for six Golden Horse Awards and won two, Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song.
Chung Chao-cheng’s classics of Taiwanese literature depict the lives and fates of Taiwanese against the background of post-World War II Taiwan, following the end of the Japanese colonial period.
He wrote more than 30 novels and 150 short stories, as well as scores of essays, even though he taught at the Longtan Elementary School until 1979.
In mourning his passing, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) expressed her condolences to his family and said his death was a great loss to the nation’s literary circle.
In a Facebook post, Tsai also praised Chung Chao-cheng for playing an important role in promoting Hakka culture and Taiwanese literature.
Chung Chao-cheng and other writers of his time had jointly published a regular newsletter during the post-war era called the Literary Bulletin, which proved essential to young and aspiring writers of the time, Tsai said.
Tsai said she would always remember him as an elder who saw her as his own child.
She pledged to bear his teachings in mind to continue the promotion of Hakka and Taiwanese culture so that his legacy would last for generations to come.
Writer Chen Fang-ming (陳芳明) said Chung Chao-cheng had a tremendous impact on the development of Taiwanese literature.
Chung Chao-cheng played a crucial rule during the transitional period in the 1950s after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) took over the governing of Taiwan from Japan, Chen said.
The Hakka Affairs Council said Chung Chao-cheng was not only a prolific writer, but a devoted promoter of Hakka affairs who helped promote awareness of Hakka culture at a national level.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
Taipei is to implement widespread road closures around Taipei 101 on Friday to make way for large crowds during the Double Ten National Day celebration, the Taipei Department of Transportation said. A four-minute fireworks display is to be launched from the skyscraper, along with a performance by 500 drones flying in formation above the nearby Nanshan A21 site, starting at 10pm. Vehicle restrictions would occur in phases, they said. From 5pm to 9pm, inner lanes of Songshou Road between Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 are to be closed, with only the outer lanes remaining open. Between 9pm and 9:40pm, the section is
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday hosted a reception to celebrate Double Ten National Day. Conservative Canadian lawmaker Marc Dalton called Taiwan a “beacon of courage and resilience in the face of rising authoritarianism,” according to a post on the Taiwan in Vancouver Facebook page. Also in attendance were fellow conservative caucus members Tako Van Popta and Chak Au, who said that Taiwan plays an “indispensable role” in ensuring global peace, prosperity and stability due to its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region, it said. Canadian lawmaker Michael Cooper also recorded a message wishing Taiwan a
RSS