The prestigious 2023 Want Want Filial Piety Songwriting and Short Film Competition awards ceremony was held in Shanghai, China, this Monday. The event, designed to promote and celebrate China’s traditional culture of respecting and caring for the elderly, recognized outstanding talent in songwriting and short film creation. A grand total of 178 awards were presented, accompanied by a substantial prize purse of 1.45 million yuan (approximately $198,360).
The ceremony was particularly symbolic as it coincided with the traditional Chongyang Festival, also known as the Double Ninth Festival, with a central theme of reverence and care for the elderly. This festival, celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, holds deep cultural significance, where the number nine is associated with longevity in Chinese culture.
The Want Want Group, which traces its roots back to its founding in 1962 in Taiwan, has organized this filial piety-themed award event for the third time. The group, formerly known as I Lan Foods Industrial Co., has expanded its presence to 60 countries and regions across Asia, Africa, South America, Oceania, and Europe. It boasts diverse interests spanning the food and beverage industry, media, insurance, and elderly care, among other sectors.
This year’s edition of the Filial Piety Competition garnered strong support from more than 70 mainstream media outlets and social organizations within the global Chinese community. Distinguished musicians, music critics, and celebrities from both sides of the Taiwan Straits were invited to serve as jurors. Jam Hsiao, a prominent figure in the music industry, assumed the role of honorary chairman of the jury.
The awards ceremony drew the presence of political and business leaders from both sides of the Taiwan Straits. Notable attendees included Tsai Eng-meng, the chairman of the Want Want Group, and Li Yafei, the vice president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits. More than 300 guests from 21 provinces and cities across mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and the United States were in attendance, underscoring the significant impact of filial piety culture.
The Want Want Group’s commitment to advocating the modern concept of filial piety, promoting positive societal values, and fulfilling corporate social responsibilities was evident. The group previously hosted the first and second filial piety awards in 2016 and 2018 to honor the cherished traditional Chinese value of “filial piety comes first.”
The central theme of the third event, “Child, do you know what I need?,” underscores the importance of bidirectional filial piety. It encourages parents and the elderly to openly communicate their needs, facilitating enhanced parent-child interactions and understanding. This year’s competition stands as a testament to the continued reverence for age-old values that unite generations and uphold the significance of filial piety in contemporary society.
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