Golden Picture Book Awards Ceremony; Li Yuan: Ministry of Culture Will Be the Backup, Accompanying Creators to Draw for a Lifetime
At the 1st Golden Picture Book Awards, Culture Minister Li Yuan declared 2026 as 'Taiwan's Year of the Picture Book.' The ministry will fully support the ecosystem, which is already seeing global success.
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(Central News Agency, Reporter Chiu Tsu-yin, Taipei, 23rd) The award ceremony for the 1st Golden Picture Book Awards was held today at the Eslite Performance Hall in the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei. Culture Minister Li Yuan announced that "2026 is the inaugural year of Taiwan's picture books," hoping that all creators will "draw for a lifetime" and affirming that the Ministry of Culture will act as everyone's backup.
The "Special Contribution Award" this year was presented by Premier Cho Jung-tai to the "Idea Man" Tsao Chun-yen, who has been working in picture books for 60 years. In his speech, Cho Jung-tai specially thanked Tsao Chun-yen for bringing a sense of richness to Taiwanese society, allowing children and those with independent thinking abilities to feel the cultural power that still exists in society.
Cho Jung-tai emphasized, "There is no right or wrong, good or bad in culture; culture is the accumulation of life experiences and long-term observation." He hopes society can continue to possess positive energy.
Li Yuan stated in his speech that the Ministry of Culture's promotion of a series of picture book policies is meant to put together the last puzzle piece of Taiwan's culture, forming a very complete ecosystem for all cultural content and industries. "This occasion today is precisely putting that final piece of the puzzle into place."
Li Yuan noted that through a series of picture book policies, the Ministry of Culture has nurtured many excellent works and creators. For instance, works by students from the 1st cohort of the "Picture Book and Graphic Novel School" have already had their rights purchased by the American publisher Penguin Random House to be published in English. "This seemed like a very distant dream in our imagination, but we achieved it in just 1 or 2 years." He encouraged creators to continue creating.
In his speech, Tsao Chun-yen specially recalled childhood memories, stating that his father passed away early, and his 14-year-old eldest brother took on the family responsibilities, raising the younger siblings alongside their mother. His eldest brother not only took care of the family's daily needs but also frequently took them hiking across the suburban mountains of Taipei, telling them: "We are living well because we possess beautiful mountains and rivers." This nourishment from nature became the wellspring of inspiration for Tsao Chun-yen's future story creations.
Tsao Chun-yen said, "Creation should start from a child's perspective." Whether the subject matter is mountains and rivers or ordinary humor, the truest cuteness and innocence of a child should be excavated from the works. (Editor: Lung Po-an) 1150423
The "Special Contribution Award" this year was presented by Premier Cho Jung-tai to the "Idea Man" Tsao Chun-yen, who has been working in picture books for 60 years. In his speech, Cho Jung-tai specially thanked Tsao Chun-yen for bringing a sense of richness to Taiwanese society, allowing children and those with independent thinking abilities to feel the cultural power that still exists in society.
Cho Jung-tai emphasized, "There is no right or wrong, good or bad in culture; culture is the accumulation of life experiences and long-term observation." He hopes society can continue to possess positive energy.
Li Yuan stated in his speech that the Ministry of Culture's promotion of a series of picture book policies is meant to put together the last puzzle piece of Taiwan's culture, forming a very complete ecosystem for all cultural content and industries. "This occasion today is precisely putting that final piece of the puzzle into place."
Li Yuan noted that through a series of picture book policies, the Ministry of Culture has nurtured many excellent works and creators. For instance, works by students from the 1st cohort of the "Picture Book and Graphic Novel School" have already had their rights purchased by the American publisher Penguin Random House to be published in English. "This seemed like a very distant dream in our imagination, but we achieved it in just 1 or 2 years." He encouraged creators to continue creating.
In his speech, Tsao Chun-yen specially recalled childhood memories, stating that his father passed away early, and his 14-year-old eldest brother took on the family responsibilities, raising the younger siblings alongside their mother. His eldest brother not only took care of the family's daily needs but also frequently took them hiking across the suburban mountains of Taipei, telling them: "We are living well because we possess beautiful mountains and rivers." This nourishment from nature became the wellspring of inspiration for Tsao Chun-yen's future story creations.
Tsao Chun-yen said, "Creation should start from a child's perspective." Whether the subject matter is mountains and rivers or ordinary humor, the truest cuteness and innocence of a child should be excavated from the works. (Editor: Lung Po-an) 1150423