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‘Modern Poetry of Pingtung’

  • Date:2018-12-21
‘Modern Poetry of Pingtung’

The National Museum of Taiwan Literature will hold an exhibition at the Qidong Poetry Salon in Taipei from Dec. 21, 2018 through Sept. 29, 2019 to showcase the rich literary scene of the southern Taiwanese county of Pingtung.


In collaboration with the Cultural Affairs Department of Pingtung County Government, the exhibition will feature three sections of different themes, including "Walking through Mountains and Seas: Natural Landscapes and Geographic Writing," "Past and Present: Time, History, Narrative," and "The Past Cannot Be Changed: Multi-ethnic and Multi-cultural Integration," to highlight the characteristics of modern poems by Pingtung-based poets. 


The exhibition will also feature images of Taiwanese indigenous hand tattoos and spears, Eluanbi Lighthouse, and southern Bluefin tuna all of which represent the unique cultures, landscapes, and products of Pingtung.


Installations featuring poetic verses on Pingtung will also be displayed at the exhibition venue to create a lyrical vibe for visitors to experience the rich sentiments and cultural elements encapsulated by these poems.


Director Su Shuo-bin (蘇碩斌) of the NMTL said that it was an honor to partner with local governments to introduce the poets, culture, history, and natural landscapes, as well as the local products and customs of different areas of Taiwan to the public.


Director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) of the Ministry of Culture's Department of Humanities and Publications expressed her joy on seeing how cultural and natural landscapes in Pingtung were presented through poetry.


Library Division Chief Chang Kuan-ping (張關評) of the Cultural Affairs Department of Pingtung County Government thanked the participating artists and the National Museum of Taiwan Literature for the opportunity to present poems created by Pingtung-based poets.


Li Min-yong (李敏勇), a poet and translator who grew up in Kaohsiung and Pingtung, noted that culture and customs vary according to different regions despite the size of the small island. He hopes that people across Taiwan will learn more about Pingtung through such an exhibition.


Poet Chang Show-foong (張曉風) stated that materialistic assets won't last forever but poetry could live on for hundreds of thousand years.


At the Dec. 21 opening ceremony, Rangalu Taruljayaz (讓阿淥達入拉雅之), a Paiwan poet who expresses his love for family and respect for nature and hunting through modern poetry, recited his poems accompanied by music performed by Sauniaw Tjuvelkevelj (少妮瑤久分勒分). She is the first female indigenous artist who learned to play the nose flute, which is a musical instrument played exclusively by men in Paiwan tradition. 

 


‘Modern Poetry of Pingtung’

  • Date: Dec. 21, 2018 – Sept. 29, 2019
  • Venue: Qidong Poetry Salon
  • Address: No. 25 Jinan Road Section 2, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan (ROC)
  • Website: Qidong Poetry Salon