A positive celebration of Taiwan's traditional culture, as the younger generation reconnects with classical Han poetry through their mother tongues.

• The semi-finals of the "Chiang Wei-shui Taiwanese and Hakka Youth Han Poetry Recitation Contest" were held on the 16th at the Taiwan Huye Ancestral Temple in Taichung. Now in its 6th year, the event drew a hundred students to compete.
• Students must not only memorise the poems and their melodies, but also master the phonology of Taiwanese and Hakka, conveying the poetry's meaning through rhythm and stage performance.
• The judges respect the linguistic characteristics of each region, and a local "regional accent" incurs no penalty; what matters is whether contestants can present their mother tongue and the poetry's meaning naturally.
• The organisers hope to bring the contest into local communities, connecting young people's recitation with local culture and making it a force that roots the mother tongue.

Outlook: Twenty students were selected in the semi-finals to advance, and they will compete for the top honour at the grand final on 5 September at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taipei.