The Ministry of Culture (MOC) announced the 43rd National Cultural Award recipients on Apr. 22, praising outstanding cultural workers in the country. This year, scholar Fu Chao-ching (傅朝卿), photographer Juan I-jong (阮義忠), and late poet Lin Heng-tai (林亨泰) were honored with the award.
Fu Chao-ching, born in Tainan in 1957, has made significant contributions to the research, preservation, and promotion of Taiwan’s architecture and cultural heritage for decades. Among his notable achievements was leading a team from the MOC and National Cheng Kung University (國立成功大學) to present the results of Taiwan’s cultural heritage preservation at the International Council on Monuments and Sites conference.
Born in 1950 in Yilan, Juan I-jong has captured the landscapes and people of Taiwan through his lens with remarkable photorealism. His works have gained international recognition and have been exhibited in France, the U.S., Mexico, Lithuania, Sweden, and other countries or regions. They have also found a place in the collections of prestigious institutions such as the Musée National d'Art Moderne in France.
Born in 1924, Lin Heng-tai, who passed away on Sept. 23, 2023, lived through the Japanese rule until the post-war era. He was part of the group of writers known as the "cross-language generation." He dedicated himself to the modernist poetry movement while nurturing Taiwanese consciousness. His creative journey reflects the evolution of modern poetry in Taiwan.