Winners of the Presidential Culture Awards were announced Sept. 4 in Taipei City, with five individuals and groups honored for contributions to elevating culture in society.
Organized by Taipei-headquartered General Association of Chinese Culture, the 10th edition of the biennial event saw celebrated sculptor Ju Ming named recipient of the Arts and Culture Award.
Born in 1938 in Miaoli County, northern Taiwan, Ju is known for his signature pieces including the Taichi and Living World series. He established the Ju Ming Museum in New Taipei City in 1999, which won Best Practice Award presented by the France-based International Council of Museums in 2017.
Fang He-sheng, a borough chief in Taipei’s Zhongzheng District, is winner of the Community Building Award. He created Taiwan’s first community-based food bank, as well as implementing projects for youths, seniors and underprivileged groups.
Nongovernmental organization Taiwan Association for Human Rights is winner of the Public Advocacy Award for promoting the country’s freedom and democracy abroad, and helping bring the 40th congress of France-headquartered International Federation for Human Rights to Taiwan next month.
Other recipients are Humanitarian Dedication Award-winner Taiwan Mennonite New Dawn Educare Center, a facility for the physically and mentally challenged in eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County; and Creativity and Innovation Award-winner LuxuryLogico, credited for creating the Sound of Blooming: a large-scale mechanical flower bed that was the centerpiece at the 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition.
According to GACC, the honorees were selected from a 137-strong field and judged by a 52-member panel over three rounds. The long-term dedication to respective field all bears testament to the values of Taiwan and serves as great model for all segments of society, the association said.
The awards, along with NT$1 million (US$31,969) in prize money each, are to be presented by President Tsai Ing-wen during a special ceremony Oct. 18 in Taipei. (SFC-E)
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