In October, Inalco is putting Taiwan in the spotlight

23 September 2026

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The Chair in Taiwanese Studies at Inalco, in collaboration with several academic and cultural partners in Taiwan, is offering an immersive experience at the heart of Taiwanese culture, focusing primarily on the themes of heritage transmission, literature and the relationship between humans and animals: artistic representations, an exhibition, lectures and film screenings. The event will feature Taiwanese artists invited as part of the 2026 Taiwan–Europe Cultural Year and the Spotlight Taiwan programme (Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture).
Visuel de l'exposition "Dialogue entre les animaux et la littérature taïwanaise"
Visuel de l'exposition "Dialogue entre les animaux et la littérature taïwanaise" © Christopher Boyd‎
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Performances

Demonstration of songs and dances by the Puljetji troupe, from the Paiwan people of Taiwan (10 mins)
2 October at 4.20 pm
2nd-floor hall

Performance of traditional songs and dances of the Paiwan people of Taiwan
10 October – 4.00 pm–5.00 pm
Auditorium foyer

A celebration of the richness of a living heritage in which song, dance and movement play a part in passing on memory, history and community ties. This performance will thus provide a special opportunity for transmission, sharing and interaction between the artists of the Puljetji troupe from Taiwan and the participants trained in France.

Exhibition

A dialogue between animals and Taiwanese literature

12–30 October 2026 / 8am–10pm
PLC Gallery, free entry

This exhibition, whose visual identity was designed by the French illustrator Christopher Boyd, is dedicated to 21st-century Taiwanese literature as seen through the figure of the animal. It invites visitors to take a fresh look at Taiwanese society and the human world.

Around the exhibition

12 October

  • Origami and colouring workshop featuring animals: “  Animals in our hands and in our hearts ”
    4.00 pm–5.30 pm, in the auditorium foyer
  • Marine animals and oceanic literature in Taiwan: A talk with Taiwanese writer Liao Hung-chi
    10.30 am–12.00 pm, Room 3.01
  • Opening of the exhibition ‘Dialogue between Animals and Taiwanese Literature ”
    5.00 pm–7.00 pm, at the Gallery

Lectures

Marine Animals and Oceanic Writing in Taiwan : A meeting with the Taiwanese writer Liao Hung-chi 廖鴻基

12 October, 10.30 am–12.00 pm
Room 3.01

Through a meeting with the Taiwanese writer Liao Hung-chi 廖鴻基, participants are invited to discover Taiwan’s marine life and the role of the ocean in Taiwanese literature. The discussion will explore how the sea, observations of the marine world and the relationship between humans and the ocean inspire his writing.

Taiwan through stories: economy, cuisine and natural disasters

14 October, 5.30 pm–7.30 pm
Auditorium

How can we tell the story of Taiwan through its economic history, its culinary cultures and its experience of natural disasters? This event offers an opportunity to discover three new books on Taiwan, published by Maisonneuve & Larose – Nouvelles Éditions / Hémisphères Éditions, which blend literature, history and society to explore different facets of the Taiwanese experience.

Taiwanese film series: the Taiwanese language, animals and cinema

Screening of the film 大俠梅花鹿 Tāi-kiap Muî-hue-lok – The Fantastic Adventures of the Deer Knight

Wednesday 21 October 2026 / 6.00 pm–8.00 pm
Auditorium, free admission

Directed by Ying Chang, 1961|Taigi / Taiwanese|80 mins
Discover a film as unique as it is unexpected: 大俠梅花鹿 - ‘The Fantasy of Deer Warrior’, a film in Taigi (Taiwanese) in which animals become the true protagonists of a story blending love, revenge, rivalry, deception and combat. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the audience about the film, its genre conventions, the portrayal of animals and the place of Taigi in Taiwanese cinema.

Inalco - Chaire en études taïwanaises 拷貝
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Ministry of Culture (Taïwan)
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Taiwan Film & Audiovisual Institute - logo
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