30-Second Overview: Chang Wei-wen, one of the most radical proponents of the Taiwan literary movement, sparked a nationwide debate in 2011 when he held up a protest sign at the Taiwan Literary Museum, stating: "It is shameful that Taiwanese writers do not use the Taiwan language but use Chinese to create!" This scholar, a graduate of Tamkang University's Department of Mechanical Engineering, later became one of the few experts in Taiwan proficient in Vietnamese and currently serves as the Chair of the Department of Taiwan Literature at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). Over 30 years, he has proven that language is not merely a tool, but the core battlefield of ethnic identity.
In the early 1990s, a student from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tamkang University founded the "Taiwan Language and Literature Club," initiating a movement that could rewrite Taiwan's linguistic landscape. Chang Wei-wen's English name, "Taiffalo," is an abbreviation for "Taiwan Buffalo"—a choice that suggests his self-defined role: a Taiwan buffalo silently tilling the fields of language and culture, undeterred by hardship.
From Engineering to Linguistics: An Unexpected Turn
Born in 1971 in Gangshan, Kaohsiung, Chang Wei-wen originally followed a typical STEM path. However, while studying mechanical engineering at Tamkang University, he made a decision that altered his life's trajectory: founding the Taiwan Language and Literature Club and obtaining a Pe̍h-ōe-jī (Romanized script) textbook from the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan.
It was the early 1990s in Taiwan; local consciousness was just beginning to bud, and writing in the Taiwan language remained an extremely marginal cultural movement. Chang Wei-wen began researching the seemingly simple yet profoundly complex question of "how to write in the Taiwan language." In 1996, at the age of only 25, he made his literary debut with the collection of Taiwan-language writings, Hâi-ông (The Sea Man).
📝 Curator's Note
Chang Wei-wen's shift from mechanical engineering to linguistics was no accident. The 1990s coincided with the resurgence of local culture following Taiwan's democratization and lifting of martial law; many young people began rethinking the question of "Who am'I?" Chang chose to approach this through language and script, perhaps realizing that controlling language means controlling the power of discourse.
2011: The Poster That Changed Taiwanese Literature
May 24, 2011, at the Taiwan Literary Museum. As writer Huang Chun-ming was delivering a lecture titled "Discussions on Writing and Education in the Taiwan Language," Chang Wei-wen suddenly raised a large protest sign: "It is shameful that Taiwanese writers do not use the Taiwan language but use Chinese to create!" Simultaneously, he displayed the text written in Pe̍h-ōe-jī: "Tâi-oân chok-ka ài iōng Tâi-oân-gí chhùng-chok" (Taiwanese writers must use the Taiwan language for their creations).
Huang Chun-ming was incensed; he stripped off his shirt and rushed toward Chang, shouting insults and even using profanity to call him a "beast that knows how to bark." This confrontation, known in the media as the "524 Taiwan Literature Incident," became one of the most controversial public debates in the history of Taiwan's literature.
The legal consequences were equally dramatic: Chang Wei-wen sued Huang Chun-ming for public insult. In 2012, the Tainan District Court found Huang guilty, imposing a fine of 10,000 TWD and a two-scale suspended sentence. Although the Tainan High Court later overturned the sentence, one line in the judgment was particularly poignant: "Huang is an important literary writer; the provocation and insult were minor."
⚠️ Controversial Perspectives
Chang Wei-wen's method of protest elicited polarized reactions. Supporters believed he bravely challenged the hegemony of Chinese-language literature, while critics argued his methods were too radical and undermined the civilized atmosphere of academic discussion. The Taiwan Literature Writing Association even published a book, The Truth Behind Chang Wei-wen's Protest Against Huang Chun-ming, to defend him.
The Theorist of "De-Sinicization"
Chang Wei-wen's radical stance was not an emotional reaction but was built upon a deep academic foundation. He went abroad to study in 1996 and earned a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2003, focusing his research on "the theoretical discourse of de-Sinicization movements within the Sinosphere."
His core argument is that within the Sinosphere, using Chinese characters to write indigenous languages remains, in essence, a form of cultural colonialism. True linguistic independence must be built upon a Romanized writing system. This theoretical framework positioned him as the most radical wing of the Taiwan language movement—advocating not just for speaking the Taiwan language, but for writing it in Roman script.
He currently serves as the President of the Taiwan Romanization Association, dedicated to promoting the Pe̍h-ōe-jī (Romanized) writing system. In his view, Pe̍h-ōe-jī is not just a phonetic tool, but the legitimate script for Taiwan's literature.
An Unexpected Expertise in Taiwan-Vietnam Studies
Even more surprisingly, Chang Wei-wen later became one of the very few scholars in Taiwan's academic community proficient in Vietnamese. Since beginning comparative studies between Taiwan and Vietnam in 1997, he discovered that Vietnam's linguistic policy experience offers vital inspiration for Taiwan: during the French colonial period, Vietnam began using a Romanized script, successfully breaking free from the constraints of the Chinese character system.
In 2011, Chang Wei-wen was awarded the "Medal of Outstanding Achievement in Vietnam Studies" by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences—an honor extremely rare for a Taiwanese scholar. He currently serves as the Director of the Vietnam Studies Center at NCKU and is the lead developer for the "International Vietnamese Proficiency Test" (iVPT).
💡 Did You Know?
Chang Wei-wen's research into Vietnam was not merely an academic interest, but a way to construct a theoretical basis for comparative linguistics. In his theory, Vietnam successfully escaped Chinese characters, Korea partially escaped them, and Japan uses them in combination, while Taiwan remains deeply bound by Chinese characters—this represents a progressive "De-Sinicization Spectrum."
Academic Achievements and Social Impact
Chang Wei-wen's academic output is staggering. From the 1996 Hâi-ông to the 2024 Passing through China to Vietnam: A Study on the Identity Transformation and Localization of the Hoa people, he has published over 30 books covering fields such as Taiwan literature, Vietnam studies, and language certification.
He is also the lead developer for "Universal Taiwan Language Certification," a testing system that attempts to establish a standardized measurement mechanism for proficiency in the Taiwan language. Under his promotion, the NCKU Taiwan Language Testing Center has become one of the most important institutions for Taiwan language research in Taiwan.
Currently serving as the Chair of the Department of Taiwan Literature at NCKU, he continues to cultivate the next generation of researchers. In his classrooms, he insists on teaching in the Taiwan language, practicing his own philosophy of "speaking Taiwan, writing Taiwan literature."
Controversy and Reflection
Chang Wei-wen's radical position has always been fraught with controversy. Even within the Taiwan language movement, many believe his "full Romanization" advocacy is too extreme. Some faculty and students in the NCKU Department of Taiwan Literature also hold differing opinions, fearing his methods might hinder the mainstreaming of the movement.
However, from another perspective, it is precisely because of the existence of "extremists" like Chang Wei-wen that the moderates in the Taiwan language movement have room to negotiate. His presence makes the compromise solution of "using both Chinese characters and Romanization" appear rational and feasible.
✦ "Language is identity; identity is politics. Those who are unwilling to face the political nature of language issues are, themselves, making the greatest political statement." — Chang Wei-wen
Reflections After 30 Years
From founding the Taiwan Language and Literature Club in the early 1990s to the present, Chang Wei-wen has been dedicated to the Taiwan language movement for 30 years. During these three decades, the social status of the Taiwan language has indeed risen—with the passage of the National Languages Development Act and the inclusion of indigenous languages in the national curriculum—yet a vast gap remains from his ideal of "linguistic equality."
Recent surveys show that the population using the Taiwan language continues to decline, and the proficiency of the younger generation is generally insufficient. Faced with this reality, does Chang Wei-swen's persistence still hold meaning? Or, precisely because the trend is so dire, is it even more necessary for someone to play the role of "guardian of the language"?
Chang Wei-wen answers this question through his academic career: even when labeled an "extremist," and even when facing various controversies and criticisms, he still believes that linguistic rights are fundamental human rights, and he still believes that Taiwan literature possesses irreplaceable value.
This scholar, who calls himself the "Taiwan Buffalo," has silently tilled the fields of language for 30 years. Perhaps he is exactly the kind of persistent figure Taiwan needs—one who asks not about the harvest, but only about the cultivation.
References
- Professor Chang Wei-wen's Personal Page
- Chang Wei-wen - Wikipedia
- Explanation regarding the protest by Associate Professor Chang Wei-wen of the Department of Taiwan Literature at this university at the Taiwan Literary Museum
- Lecture protested as "shameful"; Huang Chun-ming responds with five words and a two-year suspended sentence
- Huang Chun-ming insulted Chang Wei-wen with "XXXXX"; guilty verdict and suspended sentence finalized
- Taiwan Romanization Association
- NCKU Vietnam Studies Center releases first Vietnamese language teaching materials