2024 Formosa International Poetry Festival in Tamsui: Envisioning a Sustainable Homeland Through Poetry and Art

2024/09/20

The opening ceremony of the 2024 Formosa International Poetry Festival in Tamsui and the "Sustainable Home” Art Exhibition was held on September 20 at the Carrie Chang Fine Arts Center of Tamkang University. This year marks the 9th edition of the event, co-hosted by Tamkang University, the Movimiento Poetas del Mundo, the Tamsui Cultural Foundation, the Zhongliao Community Development Association, and the Tamsui Community University. It is co-organized by 14 organizations, including the Tamsui District Office, Tamkang University's College of Foreign Languages and Literatures, and the Chueh-Sheng Memorial Library. Nearly 100 attendees participated, including Prof. Yi-Ti Lin, Dean of the College of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Tamsui District Executive Bing Chung Chen, Tamsui Cultural Foundation Chairperson Hui-Ming Hsu, Vice President of the Movimiento Poetas del Mundo Oscar René Benitez, along with several participating poets and artists.

The opening ceremony featured performances, including an erhu recital, poetry readings, song performances, and guitar accompaniment. In her speech, Prof. Lin welcomed domestic and international guests, emphasizing Tamkang University's mission to promote cultural development in collaboration with the local community. She also expressed gratitude to the Carrie Chang Fine Arts Center and all co-organizing units for their support, hoping to continue creating beautiful cultural memories together in the future. Bing Chung Chen highly praised the poetry festival, thanking the university and the Tamsui Cultural Foundation for their longstanding partnership, which has nurtured countless artistic talents in Tamsui. He hoped the festival would further enhance Tamsui's cultural image and visibility.

Oscar René Benitez shared that poetry is a medium that connects people's emotions, and the poet's responsibility extends beyond writing poetry—it is also about raising awareness of various global issues. Ben-Hang Chang, Director of the Carrie Chang Fine Arts Center, happily noted the center’s dedication to promoting collaboration with Tamsui's cultural scene over the years and expressed anticipation for future exchanges with the local arts community to create a richer cultural atmosphere.

At 1:30 p.m., a poetry exhibition opening ceremony was held at the Chueh-Sheng Memorial Library, attended by nearly 100 poets from Taiwan and abroad. The event began with Furan Li, nephew of Tamsui’s first female poet, Ru-Yue Wang-Li, introducing her life and the posthumous publication of her collected works, The Tuan Ching Poetry Collection (《團卿詩集》). During the book donation ceremony, Furan Li, Korean poet Byeong-Cheol Kang, and Taiwanese poet Kuei-Shien Lee presented a collection of poetry to Tamkang University, received on behalf of the school by Prof. Lin. The event also included new work presentations and spontaneous creations by several poets, filling the venue with a rich literary atmosphere.

The curator, retired Spanish Department professor Sheng-Bin Lin, explained that the theme of the 2024 Poetry Festival is "Sustainable Home," combining poetry with an art exhibition. Several domestic artists were invited to reflect on sustainable urban and rural development issues through their paintings, exploring the sustainability challenges and visions for our "home." The event aims to raise public awareness about environmental protection and sustainable development of both nature and human culture, using poetry and art to reflect on global ecological and social challenges.

The "Sustainable Home“ Art Exhibition was held at the Carrie Chang Fine Arts Center, featuring works by Tamsui female painter Yu-Chu Lin (林玉珠) and other artists, focusing on Tamsui scenery or the theme of a sustainable homeland. The "e-Calligraphy Poetry and Painting Exhibition" was in the Reading Sharing Area on the second floor of the Chueh Sheng Memorial Library, showcasing 48 pieces of poetry from poets participating in the International Poetry Festival. All the poems are written using the university's distinctive e-Calligraphy system, combining beautiful poetry with calligraphy.

Viewers： 482