Lin Hsiu-wei protests only 3 flight tickets for 25 members: 'Not singing in Taiwanese doesn't mean not representing Taiwan?' Lee Yuan: 'Our subsidy is still higher than others'

Wu Hsing-kuo, Artistic Director of the Contemporary Legend Theatre, has been invited to perform at the 50th anniversary celebration of the World Shakespeare Festival in Italy. Recently, his wife and the theatre's Administrative Director, Lin Hsiu-wei, accused the Ministry of Culture's Department of Exchange of refusing to meet and offering only three economy-class flight tickets for a 25-member delegation. She questioned, 'Does the Contemporary Legend Theatre no longer deserve to represent Taiwanese culture because we don't sing in Taiwanese?'

In response, Minister of Culture Lee Yuan stated on the 31st that the group applied for subsidies under the Department of Exchange, and the standard support for overseas performances includes limited flight assistance. 'When compared to others, the amount we provide is still higher,' he said, calling the accusations a misunderstanding and taken out of context.

Speaking at the farewell ceremony of Lam Wing-kei in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Lee Yuan emphasized that the Contemporary Legend Theatre is among the top-tier groups in the Ministry's 'Taiwan Top' program, receiving annual subsidies of approximately NT$5 to 6 million. In comparison, the average for this program ranges from NT$1 to 3 million, meaning the group receives significantly more support and is highly valued by the Ministry.

Regarding Lin's comment questioning whether not performing in Taiwanese disqualifies the group from representing Taiwan, Lee said, 'This is the part that hurts me the most.' He stressed that every language is a national language and that the government is committed to promoting linguistic diversity. He noted that very few 'Taiwan Top' teams perform in Taiwanese and expressed hope that language would no longer be politicized among different communities.

Lee recalled that during the martial law era, Hakka, Taiwanese, and indigenous languages were suppressed and said he does not wish to repeat such history. He emphasized that all subsidies are transparently reviewed by independent panels, with meticulous evaluations conducted for each application. 'I only find out the results at the very end,' he said, underscoring fairness and lack of bias.

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