Theater scholar Chiu Kun-liang (邱坤良), film editor Liao Ching-sung (廖慶松), and nature writer Hsu Jen-shiu (徐仁修) were formally honored on Wednesday, August 5, for their lifetime contributions to the country’s cultural development. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) presented the winners with medals at the 45th National Cultural Awards held in Taipei.

Chiu has spent decades researching, preserving, and creating Taiwanese theater. He also served as president of Taipei National University of the Arts and head of the Council for Cultural Affairs, the forerunner to Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture.

Liao, a major figure behind the Taiwan New Cinema movement, has worked in film editing for more than 50 years. His credits include award-winning movies such as “A City of Sadness” and “Dust in the Wind.” He has also taught filmmaking for 17 years and worked on over 100 films.

Hsu has documented nature in Taiwan and abroad through writing and photography. In 1995, Hsu founded the Society of Wilderness to support wildlife protection, and in 2006 he launched the Thousand Miles Trail Movement to encourage greater public appreciation of the land and environment.

Speaking at the award ceremony, which featured musical performances and a traditional puppet show, Cho said National Cultural Award recipients had spent their lives “illuminating Taiwan” and leading it toward a deeper path of cultural development.

Culture Minister Li Yuan (李遠) said the three awardees are pioneers, practitioners, and educators who have laid important foundations in their respective fields and passed their ideals on to younger generations.