December 10, 2013
No. 090
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) held the award ceremony for the Third Cross-Strait Exchange Documentary Literature Awards today (December 10, 2013). Minister Wang Yu-chi said in an opening speech that the main objective of the award is to record the folk memory outside of official cross-strait interactions and encourage all participants, observers and people with greater expectations for cross-strait exchanges to preserve their precious memories and experiences. The winning works allow more people to experience the beauty of literature, as well as to realize the evolution of cross-strait exchanges and the spirit of the times, just as that a straw shows which way the wind is blowing.
Established in 2011, the Cross-Strait Exchange Documentary Literature Awards marked its third anniversary this year. Minister Wang said that the award, though young, is remarkable for its inclusiveness and richness. Each year the activity attracts participation by a growing number of students, journalists, teachers from both sides, as well as Mainland spouses residing in Taiwan. Each of the works inspires readers to consider cross-strait exchanges in new ways.
Minister Wang also noted that political realities between the two sides have created innate barriers between the people on both sides, leading to misconceptions from a lack of understanding. As the competent authority for cross-strait policy, the MAC intends not only to perfect the institutionalized development of cross-strait exchanges, but also to promote deeper and more comprehensive understanding between the people of the two sides. If the people on both sides can mutually understand and respect each other, the government - which exists for the people - may not act in contradiction but rather should fill the role of forerunner and defender in promoting this mutual trust and understanding. It must also avoid actions that create unnecessary misunderstanding.
Among this year's winning entries were an account of the human warmth and local spirit experienced by a Mainland student during a bicycle tour around Taiwan; a narration on identifying with Taiwan through a description of the island's scenic beauty by a Mainland spouse who has long resided in Taiwan; and a story of the current medical situation in the Mainland as uncovered by a Taiwanese student doing medical volunteer work in rural parts of the Mainland. Each of these works depicts changes in cross-strait relations across space and time, as well as the true face of interactions between the people on both sides. The winning entries are published on the Third Cross-Strait Exchange Documentary Literature Awards event website (http://www.macliterature.com.tw). Please see the attachment for a complete list of award winners.