The Chinese government will help overseas Chinese in Europe learn the Chinese language.
Kao Hsin, chairman of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission, said teachers, textbooks, phonograph records and tapes will be sent to Europe.
Kao, who recently visited Europe and the United States, said there ale only two small Chinese language schools in Europe and that most young Chinese cannot speak their own language.
There are about 60,000 Chinese in Europe, most residing in Britain.
Assistance offered students in U.S.
Chinese students in the United States who experience any difficulties can contact the Chinese Students Association for assistance. The Federation of Overseas Chinese Associations released the following list of CSA contacts:
New York headquarters: Wonk Jung-an, (212) 925-7910.
San Francisco office: Huang Wei-cheng, (415) 526-0672.
Los Angeles office: (213) 624-5855.
State University of Iowa: Lu Chia-hsing, (319) 338-2797. Address: 415S, Capital Street No.4, Iowa City, Iowa 52240.
Duke University: Lin Chia-sheng, 383-2691. Address: 2818 Erwin Road, Durham, N.C. 27706.
University of Kentucky: Peng Ting-chung or Tseng Chao-ying, (606) 258-9000. Address: Box 908, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., 40506
Auburn University of Alabama: Chang Chun-hsiung, Hu Chin-piao or Chou Chi-chun, (205) 887-9281. Address: 186 North Gay Street, Auburn, Ala., 36830.
Georgia Institute of Technology: Yao Shih-lung, 874-7386. Address: 159 Fifth Street N .E., Atlanta, Ga. 30308, or Chinese Club, Georgia Institute of Technology, Box 37662, Atlanta, Ga. 30332.
University of Maryland: Joseph Y. Lee, home (301) 779-9256, office (301) 454-3418. Address: Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Md. 20740.
University of Tennessee: Chao Cheng-i, (615) 525-3925. Address: 2521, Kingston Pilse Apt. 2004, Knoxville, Tenn. 37919.
The Chinese Embassy also maintains three reception centers on, the West Coast. Persons to contact are:
San Francisco: Chao Chou-hsien, (415) 731-0919.
Seattle: Lin Jih-wen, (206) 543-0445.
Los Angeles: Fan Wen-ning, (213) 747-3174.
Brains starting to return home
Four hundred and thirty-seven Chinese scholars are expected to return to Taiwan in the next three years, according to the Ministry of Education.
The ministry based its estimate on turns from a questionnaire distributed to 8,000 Chinese scholars and graduate students studying abroad. With the questionnaire went report on Taiwan job opportunities for professional people.
As of the end of June, the ministry had received 626 replies, of which 443 are from the holders of doctorates. Fields of specialization include science, engineering, agriculture, medicine and the humanities.
In the first six months of this year, the ministry provided employment assistance to 248 Chinese scholars who wanted to come to Taiwan. Most have been given teaching positions in colleges and universities. Some will stay for only six months to a year.
The National Science Council provides pay and round-trip air tickets to returning scholars who teach at public colleges and universities. Those staying permanently receive travel allowances of US$400 (from Europe or the U.S. East Coast) or US$200 (from the U.S. West Coast or Asia).
During the last 20 years, 1,698 scholars and students have returned from abroad, mostly from the United States. Of these 604 are teaching in colleges, 369 are working in government organizations and 376 are employed by private enterprises.
400 will attend education meeting
The Fifth National Conference on Education in Taipei August 24-29 will draw attendance of more than 400 educators at home and abroad.
Liu Hsien-yun, vice minister of education, said the conference will chart guidelines for the period of national recovery and reconstruction. Educational reforms will emphasize science education and cultural renaissance.
The first national conference was held in 1927. Preparatory work for 1970 started in February and a secretariat was set up in July.
Exhibitions will he held to show the present educational situation, progress of the cultural renaissance movement and the state of education on the Chinese mainland.
Participants will include college presidents, school principals, scholars and educators from abroad.
Chinese cultural renaissance successes
The Chinese Cultural Renaissance Promotion Committee held its third plenary session at the Armed Forces Officers Club in Taipei July 28.
In a written message, President Chiang Kai-shek, the chairman of the committee, said the cultural renaissance movement is one of the most effective weapons against the Peiping regime.
The Chinese Culture Renaissance Movement was launched by President Chiang November 12, 1966.
Dr. Sun Fo, president of the Examination Yuan and vice chairman of the committee, said the movement has produced good results.
Officiating at the opening of the conference, Dr. Sun cited promotion of the "good citizen" movement, establishment of branch committees for the promotion of Chinese culture at home and abroad, translation of Chinese literature, increased scientific study and research, renovation of Peiping opera and folk dancing and the strengthening of anti-Communist information activities.
Chen Li-fu, a senior adviser to President Chiang and a vice chairman of the committee, made a report on the "Nature of the Chinese Cultural Renaissance Movement and the Salient Points of Chinese Culture."
Gov't urged to set up school of social work
Yehia H. Darwish, resident director of the East Asia Program of the United Nations Children's Fund, has recommended the establishment of a school of social work in Taiwan with U.N. technical and financial assistance.
He made the recommendation at the National Conference on Children and Youth Development in Taipei July 7-11.
Darwish also urged establishment of a Council for Children and Youth, including representatives of voluntary agencies, government departments and experts from education, health and social services.
Universities should conduct research on the problems of children and youth, he said.
Another suggestion was for establishment of a National Nutrition Committee.
Chinese cultural town slated for Keelung
A Chinese cultural town incorporating designs based on some of the most famous landmarks of ancient China is to be built in Lungmenchiu valley at Keelung in northern Taiwan.
The town will be designed in the old mainland style with such models as the Tientan Temple in Peiping. Huang Ho Chamber in Hupeh, Lungmen Mountain in Shansi, Shanhai Gate of the Great Wall, Leifeng Tower of Hanchow and Ihsi Temple of Shansi.
Li Hung-chiu, the designer, said the town will remind mainlanders of the China they left 20 years ago, show young people the beauty of a land they have never seen and give foreigners an idea of what old China was like.
The project is supported by the Keelung City Government.
Lungmenchiu valley is about 30 minutes from Taipei by car. It includes a waterfall and lake.
A hotel will be of Chinese style. Only Chinese food and drink will be served.
There will be no cars in the town. Transportation will be by horse, sedan chair and boat. Visitors will be received according to ancient Chinese custom. Activities will include opera, chess, archery, riding and demonstrations of painting and calligraphy. The calligraphy center will honor the famous Sung calligrapher Chen I-hsi, who supposedly won a kingdom in a chess game.
Construction of a road to the site has already begun.
Academia Sinica has eight new members
Eight new members have been elected to the Academia Sinica, increasing the membership to 69. They were chosen from a slate of 20. Thirty-three resident academicians and 25 abroad participated.
New members are:
Yi Chia-hsun, 52, an authority on fluid dynamics, teaching at the University or Michigan.
Yeh Hsuan, 54, professor and dean of mechanical engineering, University of Pennsylvania .
Hsiang Fu-chen, 65, professor of mathematics at the National Taiwan University.
Li Chen-yuan, 55, professor of pharmacology at the National Taiwan University Medical School.
Miu Man-chiang, 56, professor of biology at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Yen Keng-wang, 54, research fellow of the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica.
Shen Kang-po, 74, professor of history at the National Taiwan University.
Tsou Chih-chuang, 39, professor of economics at Columbia University in New York.
The election took place at the final session of a two-day conference of the Academia Sinica. Vice President-Premier C.K. Yen and Vice Premier Chiang Ching-kuo attended the opening.
Discussions yielded these conclusions:
—Research should be planned in accordance with the needs of nation al reconstruction.
—The Academia should make its research facilities available to universities for postgraduate training.
—The Academia should replenish its research facilities and step up recruitment of foreign-trained scientists.
—Priority should be given reactivation of the Institute of Medical Science.
—Government should be asked for funds to strengthen Academia research facilities and staff.
Stories of 800 operas collected
Dr. Chang Pe-chin, a retired diplomat, has spent more than 10 years compiling 12 volumes of 800 Chinese opera stories.
Chang said the operas known to have been written exceed 1,000. Many have been lost and the Chinese Communists have tried to destroy some in their attacks on Chinese culture.
Chang, who was minister at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo, said he has collected plays from bookstores and libraries in Japan and Taiwan.
The compilation is in chronological order going back some 4,000 years. He said plays about the Three Kingdoms in the later Han dynasty account for a sixth of the total number. The fewest are about Ch'ing times.
Four volumes have been published. The entire collection will be off the press before the end of this year. Title is Encyclopedia of Chinese Opera.
Popular plays will be grouped in a volume called The Essence of Chinese Opera.
Helen Quach opens her music camp
A three-week music camp for children opened at Huakang on Yangmingshan July 27. Conductor Helen Quach is the sponsor.
Some 140 students from all over Taiwan are participating. They were selected by Miss Quach after interviews and auditions. Students pay US$50 for lodging, food and lessons.
The 15 instructors are from China, German, Korea, the Philippines and the United States.
Miss Quach, who began her own musical training in Saigon in 1949 at the age of 8 and was assistant conductor to Leonard Bernstein for the New York Philharmonic 1968-69 season, hopes the camp can be made permanent and accept students from throughout Asia.
Students and instructors will join in a closing concert under Miss Quach's baton.
Need for concert hall emphasized
Violinist Teng Chang-kuo, who conducts the TTV symphony orchestra, has called for construction of a concert hall of international standard as a prerequisite to improving music education.
Teng returned from Japan July 21 with his wife, pianist Azuza Fujita, and cellist Chang Kuan-jung. They had attended a conference of Chinese, Japanese and Korean musicians in Osaka.
Teng said Japan now has 130 music schools of high standard.
Mrs. Teng said Chinese children have higher musical standards than those in Southeast Asia. She said the Chinese system of entrance examinations in higher education leaves young people little time for music.
Asian musicians agreed to meet every two years. Exchanges of teachers and students of music will be carried out soon by three countries.
Television threatens the other media
Television poses a serious threat to the survival of other mass communications media and forms of entertainment, Paul Wang, director of the Bureau of Cultural Affairs, said July 27.
Speaking at a meeting of the ruling Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) Central Standing Committee, Wang said advertising revenues of other media have dropped by 20 to 30 per cent since 1962, when the first commercial TV station went on the air.
One hundred and one of 732 movie houses had shut their doors as of last May.
Of 158 theaters surveyed, box office receipts dropped 40 to 80 per cent in the April-June quarter compared with the same period last year. Another 300 movie houses face bankruptcy.
The entertainment depression extends to the live theater. Of 1,200-odd troupes that existed in 1961, only some 90 survive.
Wang proposed legislation to regulate television programming and control advertising and advertiser influence.
He suggested that private broadcasting stations be permitted to begin FM broadcasting when the two-year FM trial period of the Broadcasting Corporation of China ends.
Other recommendations were for the construction of concert halls, reduction of taxes on wholesome entertainment and promotion of the movie industry.
According to unofficial count, there are some 600,000 TV sets in Taiwan. If there are 10 viewers per set, the audience is more than a third of the population.
A third commercial TV station is on the way. Its entry will make the situation even worse, Wang said.
Newspapers, movie exhibitors disagree
Three of Taipei's biggest daily newspapers and movie exhibitors are on the outs about advertising.
As a result, movie ads have been dropped by the United Daily News, China Times and Central Daily News. The three dailies are regarded as the largest in Taiwan.
Exhibitors declined a proposed cut of three-fifths in the full page previously devoted to movie ads.
Newspapers carry a column listing theaters and their offerings. News of movies and film personalities bas been dropped.
Movie ads are charged for at a rate of US$125 for a full page compared with the basic ad rate of US$750 per page.
Newspapers would prefer to use the space for higher paying ads or editorial matter. They offered to cut the rate to US$75 for two-fifths of a page. Exhibitors like their ads big and declined the smaller, cheaper space.