President presents cultural awards to five winners

Ma, who serves as president of the National Cultural Association that organizes the awards, said at the presentation ceremony that the award was initiated to set examples for the public to follow and foster the public's appreciation for lifestyle, social justice and the arts, and in turn enrich the culture of the country.

Among the winners were Catholic Cardinal Paul Shan and professor and writer Chi Pang-yuan.

Shan won the peace award for his contributions to peace and ethnic harmony.

The 85-year-old cardinal began to tour the island to encourage others to take a healthy attitude toward life after he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006 and was given only five months to live, according to the organizer.

Chi, an emeritus literature professor of National Taiwan University, was given the art award for her efforts to introduce Taiwanese literature to the world by promoting the translation of local literary works from Chinese into English.

The Good Shepherd Social Welfare Services, an organization of Catholic nuns that helps teenage prostitutes, single-parent families and immigrant women, won the social work award.

The Paper Windmill Cultural Foundation, famous for staging theater performances for children in rural areas, was presented with the creativity award for its dedication to helping children explore their identities and creativity.

The Yu Chi-chung Cultural and Educational Foundation received the environment award for its longtime work on environmental issues.

The awards are usually given in six categories, but no winner was named in the community empowerment category this year.

Sunday's presentation ceremony took place at the Lin Family Estate, a historic site in Wufeng Township rather than in Taipei as usual, to underline the emphasis Ma's administration has attached to Taiwan's history, according to the organizer.

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