Taiwanese veteran actor Tang Chuan (唐川) passed away on Mar. 13 at the age of 69. He dedicated his life to the audio-visual industry and actively promoted the development of Taiwan's Hakka culture. Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te expressed his condolences upon hearing the news and will propose awarding a presidential citation posthumously.
Born in 1952, Tang began his acting career in 1972 after completing a performer’s training program. He previously served as a crosstalk comedian in the Hanlin Folk Art Troupe (漢霖說唱藝術團) and later, he participated in various plays, films and TV series with his superb acting skills. Most notably, Tang received two Golden Bell Awards as an actor, taking home the Mini-series/Movie supporting actor award for "Mystery Train" (神祕列車) in 2008, and the Mini-series/Movie best actor award for "Living from the Sea" (討海人) in 2010.
Tang spared no effort in promoting Hakka culture and previously hosted a radio show at Formosa Hakka Radio Station for ten years. In addition, he participated in a Hakka TV program in 2007, conveying the cultural characteristics of Hakka and was shortlisted for Best Host in a Variety Programme of the Golden Bell Awards in 2012. In 2020, he shared more detailed Hakka knowledge on a Podcast program titled "hakkaplus (客普拉斯)" and was awarded the Ministry of Education's individual award for Outstanding Local Language Contributors.
Tang engaged in the audio-visual industry for nearly 50 years. In addition to his roles as actor, producer, language director, and voice actor, he had participated in Hakka culture-related exhibitions and performances while using Mandarin, Taiwanese Hokkien, as well as Sixian and Hailu dialects of Hakka language.
Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te stated that Tang did not only leave many classic works for Taiwan's audio-video industry, but he was also an important promoter of the continuation of Taiwan's Hakka culture. He has made a significant impact and contribution to the enrichment of Taiwan’s cultural connotation, and his legacy of dedication will be cherished forever by future generations.