Swiss Poetry Society Bilingual Event Showcases Taiwan Ocean Culture and Sustainability

Swiss writer, teacher, and translator Alice Grünfelder teamed up with the Orangerie Bonsai Garten association in Zurich on the evening of the 11th to host a Taiwanese poetry recital titled "More Oceans." The event featured alternating readings of original Chinese poems and their German translations, allowing the Swiss audience in attendance to experience Taiwan's coastal scenery and cultural pulse through the language of poetry for the first time. The selected works were drawn from poets who have garnered significant attention in Taiwan's literary circles in recent years, covering subjects ranging from the dawn at northern fishing ports and the protection of southern coral reefs to the storms and cultural memories along the eastern coastline. Through the rhythm and imagery of the words, the poems presented the intimate relationship between the island and the ocean.

Taiwan's maritime spirit has become an important symbol of international cultural exchange in recent years. Due to its unique geopolitical situation and restricted diplomatic space, Taiwan has utilized soft power—such as art, music, and literature—to convey the imagery and values of the "sea" to the world. Particularly in environmental movements and marine conservation issues, Taiwanese poets frequently use ocean waves and tides as metaphors to call society's attention to coastal ecology and sustainable development. These poems are not merely literary creations; they are also a collective grassroots narrative regarding marine resources and cultural identity, demonstrating how Taiwan uses cultural confidence to break through political constraints amid the wave of globalization.

As a landlocked country, Switzerland largely derives its imagination of the ocean from literature and travel narratives. Grünfelder has long engaged in cross-cultural translation work. She believes that through the bilingual presentation of poetry, Swiss citizens can still experience the vastness and depth of the sea despite lacking a firsthand coastal experience. During the recital, she occasionally interjected brief introductions to Taiwan's maritime policies, explaining specific measures implemented by Taiwan in recent years to promote shoreline protection, sustainable fisheries, and marine education. This allowed poetry and reality to echo one another, enhancing the audience's awareness and appreciation of Taiwan's maritime culture.

The event's partner, the Orangerie Bonsai Garten association, is dedicated to promoting plant art and natural aesthetics. The association chose "More Oceans" as its theme precisely to combine the grandeur of the ocean with the delicate nature of bonsai, presenting a dual layer of nature and humanity. Through the cross-disciplinary interaction of poetry, plants, and lectures, the audience not only heard the rhythm of the words but also experienced the scent of the coast through sight and smell, creating a multi-sensory cultural experience. This model is relatively rare among cultural events in Europe, demonstrating the innovative possibilities of Taiwan's cultural export.

From a broader perspective, this type of cultural exchange bridged by poetry is a concrete practice of Taiwan enhancing its soft power on the international stage. Through the translation and recitation of literary works, Taiwan's history, social issues, and natural landscapes are reinterpreted and disseminated across different language and cultural backgrounds. For the Swiss audience, this was not only a literary appreciation but also a window to understand Taiwan's diverse dimensions; for Taiwan, it was an opportunity to show the world how the "maritime spirit" can become an asset of cultural diplomacy. If more similar transnational poetry events are held in the future, it will help deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the two countries, further expanding Taiwan's influence on the international cultural map.