The Sun Yat-sen Scientific and Cultural Foundation has decided on its first appropriations to support scientific research. The foundation, with funds of NT$65 million (US$1,625,000), was established last October to mark the centennial of the Republic of China's founder. This is the breakdown of the budget:
— NT$1.4 million (US$35,000) for fellowships and scholarships at graduate schools.
— NT$1.7 million (US$42,500) for special professorships at graduate schools.
— NT$400,000 (US$10,000) for publication of monographs and books in the sciences.
— NT$1.4 million (US$35,000) for literary works.
— NT$700,000 (US$17,500) to support inventions and scientific and cultural projects related to Dr. Sun's political philosophy.
A total of 20 fellowships of NT$20,000 (US$500) each per annum will be open to students working for doctor's degrees and 80 fellowships of NT$12,000 (US$300) each per annum for those working for master's degrees. Ten professors will receive NT$5,000 (US$125) per month plus a special research grant of NT$10,000 (US$250) annually.
Youth Program
A summer program sponsored by the China Youth Corps was initiated in 1952 at the suggestion of President Chiang Kai-shek to give young people an opportunity to learn and express their feelings.
Activities ranging from sports to academic seminars have been offered to enrollees from middle schools and colleges. The number of participants has risen from 12,000 in 1963 to 81,500. The range of activities is still expanding.
CYC's specialty for this summer is science training. The project is aimed at coordinating theory and practice in the economy and national defense. Twenty-five research teams will be active in such areas as electronic engineering, telecommunications, medical science, marine engineering, aeronautics, and surveying.
For Engineers
To mark their own day June 6, engineers from 10 associations attended a joint ceremony in Taipei. An engineering exhibit was opened to the public and will extend into July.
Economic Minister K. T. Li visits Taipei exhibit that shows outstanding achievements of Chinese engineers. (File photo)
A three-week symposium on engineering techniques sponsored by the Chinese and American Institute of Engineers was opened in Taipei June 26. Sixteen Chinese and American scholars came from the United States to participate. Discussions are being held in mechanical, civil engineering, chemical, and electrical engineering. Exchange of views is expected to spur Sino-American technical cooperation.
Educational Progress
Illiteracy has been reduced to less than 10 per cent as a result of compulsory elementary education. This has naturally led to increased demand for schooling at higher levels. Recent findings show that 70 per cent of primary school graduates want to attend secondary schools. The problem is one of not enough room. Even so the Ministry of Education is determined to extend compulsory education to nine years. The first step will be to end entrance examinations of junior middle schools.
New classrooms must be built and teachers trained. Education Minister Yen Cheng-hsing has figured the cost at a minimum of NT$2.3 billion (US$57.25 million). He said the government hopes to end junior middle school examinations by 1968 or 1969. After that, he said, the provincial government will concentrate on the development of senior middle schools, and city and county governments on junior middle schools. The five-year vocational school system also will be expanded.
The government plans to strengthen, graduate divisions of colleges and universities and to double the number of students by this fall.
The Taiwan Provincial Government recently earmarked NT$107 million (US$2,675 million) to develop audio-visual education. A total of 380 television sets will be given to libraries and education centers, and 360 mobile teams will be equipped with audio-visual facilities to tour remote villages and towns.
Journalism Awards
The Chia Hsin Journalism Foundation announced June 8 the winners of 1966 awards - Chinese equivalents of Pulitzer prizes.
They are:
Ch'u Sung-chiu of the China Daily News — best editorial writing.
Tung Ta-chiang of the Cheng Hsin Daily News and Hsu Lung-teh of the Ta Hua Evening News — for best domestic and best foreign news coverage, respectively.
Miss Chung Mei-ying and Tien Yuan — best creative writing.
China Daily News and Shin Sheng Pao — best public service.
There were no winners for photography and cartoons.
The Chia Hsin Journalism Awards was established last year with contributions from the Chia Hsin Cement Corporation. Each winner receives NT$40,000 (US$1,000) and a plaque. Jurors number 31.
Two new books published by the National Chengchi University Press review the history of Chinese and world journalism.
The 17-chapter, 896-page History of Chinese Journalism is the first work of its kind. The author is Prof. H. P. Tseng, dean of the Chengchi University graduate school of journalism. Material is included on journalistic practices under the Chinese Communists. Overseas Chinese journalism also is given a chapter.
A History of World Journalism by Thomas C. Li, professor of international journalism at Chengchi University, is a work of 1,110 pages. One hundred and fourteen countries are included, with detailed coverage of England, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, the United States, Japan and China.
Both books are in Chinese and have extensive bibliographies.
Cultural Ties
Cultural interflow between the Republic of China and the United States continues to forge new bonds of friendship.
For instance:
1. Beginning at the end of May, 75 pieces of modern painting and graphics by 10 young Chinese artists were placed on exhibit at the Art Originals Gallery in New Canaan, Conn. The exhibit subsequently will be seen in other American cities under sponsorship of the American Federation of Arts. The Asia Society of New York City has purchased some of the art works for permanent display in Asia House.
The exhibit was arranged by Lester J. Brooks of New Canaan, who visited Taiwan last year. The artists are members of the Modern Graphics/Painting Association of the Republic of China. All are in their 30s.
2. The topic of the 10th English intercollegiate oratorical contest sponsored by the Rotary Club of Taipei was "China's Culture Past and Present". Twenty-four entrants competed at International House in Taipei May 28. First-place winners were Miss Daphne W. C. Chang of Ming Chuan Women's Commerce College and Philip C. Y. Hu of Cheng Kung University.
3. Sponsored by Chinese intellectuals, a non-profit civic organization has been established in San Francisco. The Ching Shan Chung Hua Lien Yi Hui will promote Sino-American cultural exchange. Among the 136 sponsors is Dr. Chao Yuan-jen, a member of the Academia Sinica.
4. Working under a U.S. Office of Education grant in South Orange, N. J., Chinese-born Wang Feng-yu is compiling a simplified Chinese dictionary for American high school students. His research is being carried out at Seton Hall University.
Three young Americans studying Chinese music in Taipei hold highly successful recital. (File photo)
In 1963, while helping the Radio Corporation of America to develop a Chinese-language typesetting machine now used by the U.S. Army, Prof. Wang chose the 7,000 most frequently used characters out of some 50,000. Wang believes that with a knowledge of 3,400 to 4,000 words, a foreigner will have no difficulty in reading contemporary Chinese works.
5. Under the East-West Center Program for American undergraduates specializing in Chinese and Japanese languages, nine students from the University of Hawaii arrived in Taipei June 13. They are enrolled at the Tunghai University, Taichung, for a 10-week summer session to study the language, history, and culture of China.
Non-academic activities will include visits to museum, places of historical significance, institutes, schools, and homes. All are seniors.
6. Americans are coming to admire soft-toned Chinese classical music. Some are taking lessons with leading virtuosi of Taiwan.
At Coleman Hall in Taipei June 14, three American students gave a joint recital on the 7-stringed chin, the 16-stringed cheng (zither), and the 4-stringed pipa or mandolin.
Mrs. Nancy Paper, a teacher at the College of Chinese Culture, is expert on the cheng. She is a student of Prof. Liang Tsai-ping.
Dragon Boat
The Chinese Postal Service has been issuing a series of stamps to introduce customs and traditions. The third stamp of the folklore series is of NT$2.50 denomination and depicts a boat race in observance of the Dragon Boat Festival June 23.
Stamp showing dragon boat race is one of new series. (File photo)
The origin of the Dragon Boat Festival (also called the Fifth Moon Festival) goes back to the death of Ch'u Yuan, a poet who lived in the time of the Warring States (481-221 B.C.). A scholar of high repute and virtue, and a kinsman and favorite of the king of Ch'u State, Ch'u Yuan was falsely accused by a jealous fellow-official and exiled. For some time the poet lived in seclusion, deploring corruption, invasion by an enemy state, and his inability to save the country. Finally, the patriotic, disillusioned poet-states-man drowned himself in the Milo River on the fifth day of the fifth moon in 227 B.C.
During his exile, he had composed the famous prose-style poem Li Sou to express his grief and love for his country.
The people of Ch'u set out in boats to search for Ch'u Yuan. Ever since the Chinese have marked the day by rowing out on lakes and rivers to throw cooked rice overboard and appease the poetic spirit. As the years have passed, an air of festivity has been added to the occasion. Dragon boat races are held, the people eat bamboo-leaf-wrapped dumplings of glutinous rice, houses are disinfected, and doors decorated with aromatic herbs. This festival is the third most important in China after the Lunar New Year and Moon Festival.
Folklore stamps yet to come from the Chinese Postal Service are "Lion Dance" for New Year's and "The Maid Who Fled to the Moon".
Chinese stamps are available from dealers throughout the world. Requests for free stamp bulletins, philatelic item lists, purchases and inquiries may be addressed to:
The Philatelic Department
Directorate General of Posts
Taipei, Taiwan
Republic of China