Text / Compiled and reported by the editorial team of MOOK Scenic Spots Home Travel Life Network

The wise grow distant with time, but their legacy lives on. Zhou Mengdie, known as the "ascetic monk of the poetry world," passed away on May 1 this year (2014) at the age of 94. To honor this poet, widely acknowledged as a significant and distinctive voice in Taiwan’s modern poetry scene, the West District Library in Taichung, the Huludun Cultural Center, and the Dadun Cultural Center have each set up special exhibition areas. They have curated themed book exhibitions to allow the public to revisit Zhou Mengdie’s classic poetry and writings, paying tribute to and remembering the poet.

Zhou Mengdie, whose real name was Zhou Qishu, was born in the 10th year of the Republic of China (1921). His father had passed away before he was born. After joining the military and following the government to Taiwan, Zhou Mengdie was separated from his mother, wife, and children. He did not return to his hometown until his 70s, only to experience the stroke and subsequent passing of his son. The poet poured his lifelong solitude and sorrow into his words, infusing his poetry with humanistic and Zen-inspired philosophical reflections. In 1965, he published *The Grass of Returning Souls*, which established his standing in the poetry world, and an English translation was later released under the title *The Grass of Returning Souls*.For 21 years, Zhou Mengdie ran a poetry and literature bookstall in front of the famous Mingxing Café on Wuchang Street in Taipei, attracting literary enthusiasts from all over Taiwan and creating a unique cultural street scene that inspired many young writers.

The West District Library in Taichung is hosting the 【Ascetic Monk of the Poetry World – Zhou Mengdie Book Exhibition】from now until May 31. The exhibition also features related newspaper clippings and study sheets for interested readers to peruse at the library. Want to know the origin of Zhou Mengdie’s pen name, what title Zheng Chouyu gave him, or what his first poem after arriving in Taiwan was? A visit to the West District Library promises a wealth of discoveries.

Huludun Cultural CenterThe 【Zhou Mengdie Works and Modern Poetry Collection Special Exhibition】 not only pays tribute to the master but also displays the center’s entire collection of over 500 modern poetry volumes, guiding the public to deeply explore and reconnect with the literary world of modern poetry. Additionally, the documentary *To the City of Transformation* directed by Chen Chuanxing about Zhou Mengdie will be screened in the audiovisual area on the first floor during the event period.During the exhibition period from now until June 6, the reader who borrows the most books from the library’s collection will receive a hardcover collector’s edition of *The Poetry and Prose of Zhou Mengdie*.