President Tsai Ing-wen (center) and Vice President Lai Ching-te (third left) are joined by winners of the 12th Presidential Culture Awards during a ceremony Oct. 17 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)
 

President Tsai Ing-wen presented the biennial Presidential Culture Awards to five individuals and groups Oct. 17 in Taipei City, praising their contributions in promoting national development through achievements in their respective fields.

During her speech, Tsai quoted Vice President Lai Ching-te and said that culture is the soul of a country and root of its people. She thanked the recipients for their work to promote sustainable development of Taiwan’s culture, and added her hope that their example will inspire more to follow suit and make society more diverse to benefit everyone.

According to the awards’ organizer, the General Association of Chinese Culture, this year’s Arts and Culture Award went to Liao Chiung-chih. The renowned gezaixi actress has dedicated her career to preserving the performing art by founding the Shintrun Taiwanese Opera Troupe and traveling around the country to teach the art in schools and communities.

The Community Building Award went to the Hualien Kavalan Development Association for preserving the technique of making banana silk yarn to revitalize the traditional craft, while the Humanitarian Dedication Award was presented to TransAsia Sisters Association, Taiwan, for its promotion of the rights of new immigrants and migrant workers and for introducing their cultures to Taiwan’s people.

Zhang Xu-zhan, who has won global recognition for his creation of traditional paper figurines while introducing the craft to an international audience, won the Creativity and Innovation Award. The Public Advocacy Award was presented to the production team for the “Our Island” program that has been running for 25 years on Public Television Service to expand awareness of environmental issues. (SFC-E)