Taiwanese novelist Wang Wen-hsing (王文興) was posthumously awarded with a presidential citation in recognition of his contributions to modern literature in Taiwan, the Ministry of Culture said.
To celebrate the life and works of Wang, who passed away in September, more than 200 of his colleagues, students, readers and friends in the literary world and beyond gathered at the National Taiwan University (NTU) College of Liberal Arts to share their memories of him and recite his works.
An exhibition was held at the venue to display Wang’s published works and manuscripts, along with never before published photographs provided by Chen Chu-yun (陳竺筠), Wang’s widow.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Culture via CNA
Wang left peacefully with blessings, Chen said, adding he had been prepared and thought that everything he should do had been done.
She jokingly called Wang “the real Taiwanese author” as he is known for his enigmatic and experimental works filled with Mandarin Phonetic Symbols, which only Taiwanese understand.
Deputy Minister of Culture Lee Ching-hwi (李靜慧) on Saturday presented Chen with the citation, which praises Wang as the pioneer of modernism who established a niche for the development of Taiwanese literature.
He “profoundly influenced Taiwan’s literature and culture with the pursuit of artistic writing” that focused on naturalness and musicality, Lee said.
The works of Wang provide insight into human nature and embody the essence of modernist aesthetics, she said.
Wang is not only an exemplary model in Taiwan’s literary world but also “a great cultural asset,” she added.
NTU president Chen Wen-chang (陳文章) paid tribute to Wang, who was a faculty member at the university for more than 40 years.
Wang never compromised on experimentation with words. His writing invites readers to relish the nature and dynamics between the lines, NTU College of Liberal Arts dean Cheng Yu-yu (鄭毓瑜) said.
Although Wang has passed away, the stereotype-breaking works he left behind would always be a great contribution, she said.
Yeh Bu-jung (葉步榮), manager of Hung Fan Bookstore (洪範書店) and publisher of all of Wang’s novels, said that he was honored to work with this “great literary artist.”
Wenhsun (文訊) Magazine editor-in-chief Feng Te-ping (封德屏) published a memorial collection, which includes Wang’s work and photos as well as 24 articles written in memory of him, as a gift for those who attended the memorial.
Taiwanese scientists have engineered plants that can capture about 50 percent more carbon dioxide and produce more than twice as many seeds as unmodified plants, a breakthrough they hope could one day help mitigate global warming and grow more food staples such as rice. If applied to major food crops, the new system could cut carbon emissions and raise yields “without additional equipment or labor costs,” Academia Sinica researcher and lead author the study Lu Kuan-jen (呂冠箴) said. Academia Sinica president James Liao (廖俊智) said that as humans emit 9.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide compared with the 220 billion tonnes absorbed
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
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
China’s plan to deploy a new hypersonic ballistic missile at a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) base near Taiwan likely targets US airbases and ships in the western Pacific, but it would also present new threats to Taiwan, defense experts said. The New York Times — citing a US Department of Defense report from last year on China’s military power — on Monday reported in an article titled “The missiles threatening Taiwan” that China has stockpiled 3,500 missiles, 1.5 times more than four years earlier. Although it is unclear how many of those missiles were targeting Taiwan, the newspaper reported
RSS