“Naluwan! Huan Ying Ni, Yi Ci Huan Chang Fong Shou Ba ”; “Tao Hua Kai Lai Lai Jyu Hua Na Li Huang; Wei Fong Chuei Song Jhen Jhen Na Li Liang”; “Chun Sia Ciou Dong Bao Dao Tai Wan Cyue Shih Zan.” Beautiful melodies are on the way. The finals of the “2012 National Folk Song Competition for Teachers and Students” will be held in the music hall of New Taipei Municipal Sanhe Junior High School (三和國民中學) from April 15th to 19th. A total of 168 teams representing their cities and counties from all around Taiwan will be competing for honor. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

Taiwan’s National Arts Education Center (國立臺灣藝術教育館) host the “2012 National Competition of Folk Songs for Teachers and Students,” supported by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Hakka Affairs Council (行政院客家委員會) and Council of Indigenous Peoples (行政院原住民族委員會). The event will promote different ethnic groups’ mutual understanding and respect, and encourage young people and teachers to learn more folk songs and dialects, and learn about different lifestyles and cultures. This competition will enhance teachers’ and students’ ability to understand and speak their own native languages, and to appreciate the beauty of native dialects and music. It will fully enable them to feel the vibrancy of their cultural inheritance.

According to the organizer, the participants will include elementary school, junior high school, and general and vocational high school students as well staff. City and county education departments nationwide have already completed the preliminary round, and the competition in each language was very fierce. There were elementary, junior high, general and vocational high school student divisions, and also a teachers’ division, for the Hoklo (福佬) and Hakka (客家) languages and for aboriginal languages (原住民). 168 teams representing their cities and counties advanced to the final, and from April 15th to 19th they will demonstrate their excellent rapport as they sing their way through eight different sections.

The opening ceremony for the finals will be held from 13:00 to 13:30 on April 15th. The organizer will invite several distinguished guests, and the famous Band of Rainbow Valley Best Regards (虹谷現代文藝樂團), to perform folk songs from Hoklo (福佬), Kakka (客家), and aboriginal cultures. Following the ceremony, the competition will start with section of junior high students’ competition in aboriginal languages. The beauty of Taiwan’s folk songs, and of the island’s local (including Hakka) and native cultures, will be demonstrated by the best folk song singers. In order to attract more people to join the event, the Taiwan National Arts Education Center (國立臺灣藝術教育館) has prepared lovely souvenirs to some of the participants. It is expected that many audience as well as competitors will take part in this event.

For further information regarding the event, please visit the website for the 2013 National Folk Song Competition for Teachers and Students at http://ed.arte.gov.tw/contry/, or at Tel：(02)2311-0574 ext 115

Schedule for 2013 National Folk Song Competition for Teachers and Students