MCUT and New Taipei Cultural Affairs Bureau Co-host Annual Poetry Festival, Connecting Local Students to Showcase Multicultural Exchange Results
Ming Chi University of Technology (MCUT) continues to promote University Social Responsibility (USR) by deepening local connections and multicultural exchanges. On May 2, 2026, the university held the "2026 New Taipei Poetry Festival — Early Summer Left Bank Poetry and Music Concert" at Wugu Shourang Hall. This event integrated resources from the Cultural Affairs Bureau of New Taipei City Government, the New Taipei City Library, and the French Office in Taipei. The presence of the Director of the French Office in Taipei highlighted the importance of international cultural exchange, attracting enthusiastic public participation for an artistic feast that blended local sentiment with a global perspective.
To echo the theme of Mother's Day, a series of warm-up videos were released prior to the event, featuring international students, second-generation immigrants, and migrant worker poets reciting poems about maternal love in their native languages. These videos gained significant attention on social media and resonated deeply with the audience on the day of the event, serving as a vital cultural bridge between online and offline platforms.
The concert featured relay performances by music clubs from middle and primary schools in the Wugu area, showcasing the students' learning achievements and youthful vitality, which received warm applause from the audience. Additionally, Lin Zhu-jia, a local singer-songwriter from Guanyinshan, premiered new works that depicted the local lifestyle of Wugu through music, deepening the public's identification with the land through his songs.
Regarding international exchange, MCUT international students provided interactive French cultural experiences and performed Balinese dances. Through on-site interaction, the public's understanding of different cultures was enhanced, showcasing the university's achievements in campus internationalization and the spirit of diversity and inclusion.
Beyond the stage performances, an exhibition space was organized in collaboration with the local historical group "Azure Tide Cultural Studio" to display sketches of the Luguang Community, presenting local landscapes and life memories. This was combined with a "humanistic café" reading space to create a relaxed artistic atmosphere. The event also featured DIY handicraft activities and a mobile book truck, attracting families and increasing the diversity and interactivity of the festival.
Chang Chia-yu, Director of the New Taipei Cultural Affairs Bureau, stated that this year's New Taipei Poetry Festival, themed "Paris Wind Blowing into New Taipei's May," used cross-cultural exchanges of music and poetry to present the diverse forms of poetry and promote literary dialogue between Taiwan and France. Liu Zu-hua, President of Ming Chi University of Technology, noted that the "Early Summer Left Bank Poetry and Music Concert" not only demonstrated the results of the university's USR projects but also connected local schools, cultural groups, and international student resources to create a platform for cross-cultural exchange, deepening local ties and multicultural integration.
Image (No. 1) Description: MCUT international students reciting the poem "Celle qui veille" (The One Who Watches) in French at the opening press conference.
Image (No. 2) Description: The recorder ensemble from Wugu Junior High School performing various classic pieces with youthful energy.
Image (No. 3) Description: A group photo featuring Liu Zu-hua (fourth from left), President of MCUT; Chang Chia-yu (center), Director of New Taipei Cultural Affairs Bureau; and Josué Serres (fourth from right), Head of Culture, University Cooperation and Taiwan Studies at the French Office in Taipei.
