Taiwanese and Hakka Youth Compete in Han Poetry Recital Contest, Winning NT$80,000 Each

Lin Chun-yi of National Cheng Kung University and Hsieh Hsin-en of Miaoli County's private Chientai Senior High School each won NT$80,000 after taking the top prizes in a Taiwanese and Hakka Han poetry recital contest in Taipei.

The final of the 2026 Chiang Wei-shui Taiwanese and Hakka Youth Han Poetry Recital Contest was held at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park. Twenty high school and college students competed by reciting classical Chinese poetry in Taiwanese and Hakka. Lin won the college division, while Hsieh took the high school title.

Lin performed Tsai Hui-ju's "Unforgettable" in Taiwanese and Lai Ho's "We People" in Hakka, using both languages on the same stage. Hsieh performed entirely in Hakka, reciting Chang Chen-hsiang's "Scene in My Garden" and Li Yu's "The Beautiful Lady Yu."

Lu Yu-chin of Jhuci Senior High School placed second in the high school division, followed by Chang Chia-chi of the National Taiwan College of Performing Arts. Li Tzu-ting of Fu Jen Catholic University placed second in the college division, and Chang Kai-chun of National Chengchi University placed third.

Now in its sixth year, the contest used Taiwanese and Hakka hosts for the first time and added poems reflecting Taiwan's cultural character to the required repertoire. Judges assessed pronunciation, tones, vocal quality, rhythm and emotional interpretation. Organizers also invited previous champions back to perform, including 2024 college winner Lu Yen-wei and 2025 college winner Wu Kuan-ting. The two divisions offered total prize money of NT$390,000.

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Reading poetry is like listening to a stream, while reciting poetry is like listening to a waterfall. The impact on the heart is greater.