Taipei’s National Central Library is hosting a 13-day exhibition centered around the Mu’allaqat, a centuries-old poetry collection, in celebration of World Arabic Language Day yesterday.
In line with the theme “Arabic — the Language of Poetry and Arts” chosen by UNESCO for World Arabic Language Day, the exhibition, which starts today and ends on Dec. 31, shows how Arabic has inspired creativity in poetry and art for centuries, the library said in a statement yesterday.
In addition to showcasing traditional attire, cultural artifacts and literature in the Arabic-speaking world, the exhibition highlights the Mu’allaqat, a collection of works by renowned classical Arab poets from the sixth or seventh centuries.
Photo courtesy of the National Central Library
The Mu’allaqat, also known as the Hanging Poems, consists of seven pre-Islamic odes that explore a range of themes, delving into the cruelty of tribal conflicts, expressions of affection for lovers, reflections on pride, contemplation of life and death, and observations on human nature.
Representatives from Jordan and Oman, among other nations, attended the opening event at the library yesterday.
Saudi Arabian Trade Office Representative Adel Althaidi said at the event that World Arabic Language Day was of particular significance to his country.
“The Arabic language represents our heritage, identity and culture, and therefore we are proud of it,” he said.
Su I-wen (蘇怡文), an academic in the fields of Arabic history and literature, and one of the exhibition’s curators, said that Arabic, renowned as one of the oldest Semitic languages and distinguished by its cultural and literary richness, was profoundly important.
It was not an overstatement to say that Arabic is the epitome of beauty, particularly given its magnificent poetic tradition dating back to the fifth century, Su said.
Library director-general Tseng Shu-hsien (曾淑賢) shifted the focus of the event to the Israel-Hamas war, emphasizing that cultural exchanges foster better understanding among nations.
Althaidi said that yesterday was the second time that Taiwan has commemorated the day, adding that the first celebration took place at National Chengchi University, one of the few universities in Taiwan that has Arabic language and culture courses.
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
RSS