Co-organized by the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and the Lienchiang County Government, the “2025 Sun Yat-sen Youth Art Award Touring Exhibition” held its opening ceremony on the morning of March 20 at the Matsu Folk Culture Museum.
The ceremony was jointly presided over by Lienchiang County Magistrate Wang Chung-Ming and Director Wang Lan-Sheng of the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. Attendees included Wu Hsiao-Yun, Director of the Lienchiang County Cultural Affairs Bureau; Professor Lin Yung-Fa, juror for the ink painting category; and Ko Lin-Yan, winner of the Ink Painting Sun Yat-sen Award.
The exhibition features a total of 27 selected works across three categories—ink painting, calligraphy, and oil painting—and warmly welcomes the public to attend.Now in its 11th year, the Sun Yat-sen Youth Art Award continues the legacy of the “National Youth Calligraphy and Painting Competition,” which the Memorial Hall hosted for 38 editions from 1973 to 2011 and which nurtured numerous renowned calligraphers and artists in Taiwan and abroad.
Since 2016, the Memorial Hall has organized the Sun Yat-sen Youth Art Award annually to encourage artists aged 20 to 45 to pursue creative development. Award winners are also recommended to participate in art fairs, helping them gain visibility within professional exhibition platforms. These comprehensive promotional and support measures have established the award as one of Taiwan’s most prestigious youth art honors.
County Magistrate Wang Chung-Ming expressed his appreciation to all participants for traveling across the sea to gather and share young artists’ works. He noted that Matsu, rooted in Eastern Fujian culture, possesses a rich cultural heritage and profound humanistic depth, and believed that this artistic exchange would generate meaningful resonance.
With its distinctive landscapes and cultural foundations, Matsu has in recent years enhanced local cultural visibility and residents’ quality of spiritual life through international art festivals and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Magistrate Wang expressed hope that this collaboration with the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall would serve as a bridge for artistic and cultural exchange, further deepening artistic roots and promoting public participation.
Professor Lin Yung-Fa, juror for the ink painting category, also remarked that he was deeply impressed by Matsu’s strong artistic atmosphere, cultural heritage, and local character, which together foster a fertile environment for artistic creation.Director Wang Lan-Sheng stated that the Memorial Hall is honored to present the award-winning works of the 2025 Sun Yat-sen Youth Art Award in Lienchiang County under the leadership of a highly regarded county magistrate, and to share the beauty of art with the people of Matsu.
Matsu possesses a unique combination of geography, history, cultural heritage, and former military landscapes, offering distinctive and captivating appeal across economic, social, cultural, and tourism dimensions. The Sun Yat-sen Youth Art Award serves not only as a creative platform for young artists, but also as a bridge connecting creators with the art market. Director Wang expressed his delight in extending this platform to the outlying islands of Matsu and looked forward to future collaborations with the Lienchiang County Government to bring local artists’ works to exhibitions at the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
The “2025 Sun Yat-sen Youth Art Award Touring Exhibition” is on view from March 20 to April 26 at the Matsu Folk Culture Museum in Nangan Township, Lienchiang County, featuring a selection of award-winning works.
For more information, please visit the Lienchiang County Cultural Affairs Bureau website or the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall website at www.yatsen.gov.tw, or contact the museum service desk at (08) 362-2167.