Chung Chao-cheng Literary and Life Park Introduction
The establishment history of the Zhong Zhao Zheng Literary Life Park began in 2012 with the historical buildings of the Longtan Elementary School's Japanese dormitory complex and Longtan Martial Arts Hall. After the Taoyuan County Government's Cultural Affairs Bureau initiated historical research, station projects, and planning designs, it was officially named "Zhong Zhao Zheng Literary Life Park" in 2015. The park's development core centers around the literary works of national treasure-level Hakka writer Zhong Zhao Zheng (hereinafter referred to as Old Zhong), with literary landscapes serving as branches, extending and reshaping the close connection between Longtan and post-war Taiwanese literature through contemporary ecological museum thinking. On April 20, 2019, the Zhong Zhao Zheng Literary Life Park opened under the witness of Old Zhong, accompanied by a slow travel experience around the surrounding commercial area and landscapes, leading to an increasing demand for guided tours. Therefore, in 2021, the Taoyuan City Government's Hakka Affairs Council and the Taoyuan Hakka Cultural Foundation jointly organized the "Follow the Footsteps of Literature to Explore Longtan—Literary Landscape Walking Tours and Guide Training," aiming to attract aspiring individuals to participate in literary landscape walking tours and narrate the stories of the literary landscape in a multi-faceted way, enhancing emotional connections with the land. The park's concept is that "the whole Longtan is our literary life park," hoping to connect closely with the local community, not only to promote Longtan through literature and enhance tourism value but more importantly to allow the public to rediscover the joy of reading and find the warmth of the land through the words of Taiwanese literature. The Mother of Taiwanese Literature: Zhong Zhao Zheng of Longtan In the 1950s, the literary world was filled with anti-communist literature due to a political atmosphere that oppressed local writers. Zhong Zhao Zheng struggled amidst thorns, writing from his motherland Taiwan. With a cypress desk purchased by his beloved wife, he forged ahead in his literary creations. He once mentioned that as a literary writer, he had the responsibility to write about the historical sufferings of the Taiwanese people, which became his lifelong core goal in constructing "Taiwanese literature." In 1957, to unite local writers, he sent letters inviting like-minded literary creators to initiate the publication "Literary Friends Newsletter" and held irregular literary gatherings to foster cohesion. In 1960, he published "Lu Binghua" in the supplement of the United Daily News, and thus, after ten years of honing his craft, Zhong Zhao Zheng officially rose to the peak of the literary world, encouraging his literary friends to collectively seize this literary territory. From then on, like a mother river, Zhong Zhao Zheng nurtured generations of literary successors, writing major works such as "The Turbid Flow Trilogy," "The Taiwanese Trilogy," "High Mountain Suite," and "Raging Waves," becoming the pioneer in writing Taiwanese river novels, preserving indigenous memories, and multilingual creation. In addition, he also sustained the literary publication "Taiwan Literature" for many years and hosted the supplement of the People's Daily, with the aim of providing a clean, free experimental space for emerging literary talents. Beyond his literary achievements, Zhong Zhao Zheng also became actively involved in the Hakka movement and democratic movement in his old age, making significant contributions to the preservation of Hakka culture. Over his lifetime, Old Zhong authored nearly 20 million words, being the most awarded writer in Taiwan, earning the title "Mother of Taiwanese Literature." His former residence, the old Japanese dormitory of Longtan Elementary School where he completed many important works, is even referred to as the "birthplace of post-war Taiwanese literature," attracting a continuous stream of literary figures making pilgrimages. On May 16, 2020, Zhong Zhao Zheng peacefully passed away in his sleep at the age of 96, eliciting countless reminiscences from literary friends at home and abroad. On the 18th, President Tsai Ing-wen praised him during her visit to his memorial at Longtan Martial Arts Hall, stating, "Zhong Zhao Zheng is not only the Old Zhong of the literary world but also the Old Zhong of Taiwan." From the vast texts left by Zhong Zhao Zheng, we can not only understand the development process of post-war Taiwanese literature but also glimpse his unfinished imagination of "Taiwan Studies," all stemming from his deep love for the land of Taiwan. The giant has departed, but his words and legacy will resonate eternally. (Source: Zhong Zhao Zheng Literary Life Park official website)
