2023.05.16
To pay homage to one of the greatest literary figures in Taiwan, National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan has partnered with the Big Fish Huang Foundation to host Chun-ming Huang Week (「黃春明週」) from May 16th to May 19th. The event recognizes Huang's love for the land and his humanistic concern for the social realities and lives of ordinary people. Huang is not only an important Taiwanese writer, he is also an illustrator, documentary producer, and founder of the Big Fish Children's Theater Troupe.
Inspired by Huang's 1963 novella, Do You Have a Light, the theme “Light from the Land: Chun-ming Huang's Works and Their Impact” symbolizes the continuation of Huang's care for his native land and for the people living on the margins of society. The event will also include a number of keynote speeches, poetry reading, seminars, workshops, discussions on literature and plays, theater art, as well as an exhibition of Huang's hand-drawn caricatures of turtles and snails, plant illustrations, and torn paper art.
Aged 88, Huang looks amazingly good. At the opening reception today, he wore a straw hat with a camera and camcorder hanging around his neck, which reminded people of the outfit he wore in Fragrant Formosa, a TV documentary series he produced in the 1970s.
Huang stated that as computers have become increasingly popular, people have started to prefer reading and writing online to reading physical books. As a result, they are unable to develop the literary skills required to reach their full potential. He expressed his hope that this event will inspire students to further enhance their skills in this regard.
NTHU President W. John Kao (高為元) noted that when he was a child, his uncle Nien-jen Wu (吳念真) would tell him interesting stories, and he absolutely enjoyed these special story times. He remembered his uncle said that Huang is his idol, because he is a great storyteller and story writer. Kao believes that “storytelling” is a very important skill for college students, as it helps to connect people to the land.
Professor Yu-ting Wang (王鈺婷), director of the Institute of Taiwan Literature, is the organizer of the event. She stated that Huang traveled through the countryside all over Taiwan to record the island's traditional culture while producing Fragrant Formosa. The critically acclaimed documentary series includes episodes that drew rapturous responses from the public, such as Homecoming Pilgrimage of Dajia Mazu, The Twilight of Tamsui, and A Day at The Central Market. Wang stressed that during Chun-ming Huang Week, Huang will be invited to share his memories of the documentary's production.
The Institute of Taiwan Literature mentioned that the event was made possible thanks in no small part to S. C. Hsin (辛水泉), an alumnus who was the former president of VisEra Technologies. A master's degree graduate from the Department of Physics at NTHU, Hsin currently serves as chairman of the Big Fish Huang Foundation.
“People know Huang is an extremely brilliant artist, but few have seen his unusual kindness to children and selfless devotion to children's theater troupes in remote areas,” Hsin said. He mentioned that he became familiar with Huang's writings when he studied at NTHU, and that he has been a faithful reader of Huang's bimonthly magazine 9 Rounds and 18 Turns since he flipped through its pages at a hotel in Yilan in 2008.
Hsin recalled his first meeting with Huang in an activity held by the Big Fish Huang Foundation. He said he was extremely nervous in the beginning, but Huang greeted him with such a warm welcome that he instantly felt relaxed and comfortable. Later, he served as chairman of the Foundation and developed a close and long-lasting friendship with Huang.
A preeminent writer of Taiwanese literature, Huang is best known for his short story collections—The Sandwich Man and Watching the Sea. He has also written poetry, prose, children's books and plays, film scripts, and even produced Taiwanese operas, torn paper art, and oil paintings. Among his many accolades, he has received the Wu San-Lien Literary Award, the National Award for Arts, and the China Times Literary Award.
Chun-ming Huang (黃春明) wears a straw hat with a camera and camcorder hanging around his neck, which reminds people of his outfit in Fragrant Formosa, a TV documentary series he produced in the 1970s.
Chun-ming Huang (黃春明) wears a straw hat with a camera and camcorder hanging around his neck, which reminds people of his outfit in Fragrant Formosa, a TV documentary series he produced in the 1970s.
Chun-ming Huang (黃春明), producer of Fragrant Formosa, used to tour around Taiwan for the documentary with his wife.
NTHU President W. John Kao (高為元) (center) presents Chun-ming Huang (黃春明) with a gift of purple potato rice noodles.
NTHU President W. John Kao (高為元) expresses his hope that students will learn how to tell stories that inspire audiences from Chun-ming Huang (黃春明).
Chun-ming Huang Week is officially announced by the master himself.
Chun-ming Huang (黃春明) presents a set of building blocks made of driftwood as a gift to NTHU President W. John Kao (高為元).
Chun-ming Huang Week is held from May 16th to May 19th.
Chun-ming Huang Week is held from May 16th to May 19th.
Chairman Jui-teng Lee (李瑞騰) of the Big Fish Huang Foundation hopes that students in every college and university can know Chun-ming Huang (黃春明).
Dean Cho-ying Li (李卓穎) of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences states that the Huang Chun-ming Week aims to pay homage to the master.
S. C. Hsin (辛水泉), chairman of the Big Fish Huang Foundation and an alumnus of NTHU, plays a key role in Chun-ming Huang Week.
Professor Yu-ting Wang (王鈺婷), director of the Institute of Taiwan Literature, introduces Huang Chun-ming's hand-drawn illustrations.
