Literary giant Chi Pang-yuan (齊邦媛) passed away on Mar. 28 at the age of 101. Culture Minister Shih Che expressed his deepest condolences upon hearing this news. He commended Chi’s significant contribution to literary education in the country and her efforts in introducing Taiwanese literature to international readers.
Born in 1924 in Liaoning Province (遼寧省), China, Chi finished English studies at Wuhan University (武漢大學) and moved to Taiwan in 1947. Chi started her career as an English teacher and was twice accepted by Fulbright Exchange Fellowship, which enabled her to study in the U.S. Then, she returned to Taiwan and assumed the inaugural chairperson of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, National Chung Hsing University (中興大學).
Chi also worked for the National Institute for Compilation and Translation (國立編譯館), where she initiated the translation of Chinese literature to English. Her efforts included the publication of “An Anthology of Contemporary Chinese Literature (中國現代文學選集),” covering poems, letters, and stories to provide a comprehensive compendium of traditional Chinese literature.
In 2009, Chi released “The Great Flowing River (巨流河),” in which she tells the untold story of her family and those who share the same history. Through the memoir, she addresses the world about the historical past that should not be forgotten. The memoir received recognition, winning the 34th Golden Tripod Award for Non-Literary Books and the 4th Society of Publishers in Asia Award for Best Book. It has been translated into English, German, and Japanese.
The Ministry of Culture emphasized Chi’s pivotal role in Taiwanese literature, highlighting her contributions to literary criticism and translation. The ministry also acknowledged her lifelong dedication to literature education, expressing that her absence will be deeply felt.