The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of China was formally established on May 20, 2012. An opening ceremony was held on the following day, which was attended by President Ma Ying-jeou, Premier Sean Chen and Culture Minister Lung Ying-tai.
The birth of a new ministry represents the start of a new cultural era for the nation, President Ma pointed out. He added that cultural affairs and cultural rights will become an integral part of his administration’s policies, as culture is a key component of Taiwan’s soft power.
Premier Chen added that the English word “culture” shares its Latin roots with the word “cultivation.” He explained “culture” has the connotations of “to cultivate” and “to nurture,” thus it describes what a group of people should do together – to tend to their common resources.
When Lung Ying-tai, the nation's first-ever Minister of Culture, took the stage at the May 21st ceremony, she outlined her expectations for the newly established ministry, for politics to serve culture, and for Taiwan to live up to its cultural potential.
She also quoted a line from President Ma's inauguration speech: “We must view culture as a source of national strength. The development of culture is the development of national strength; investment in culture is tantamount to investment in national strength.”
The Ministry of Culture was upgraded from the Council for Cultural Affairs and includes elements of the Government Information Office, the Ministry of Education and the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission. Here’s to the birth of a new ministry that’ll lead the nation into a new era of cultural renaissance.