Taipei Water Department

"In the depths of the black-green sea, I beheld fragments of shattered turtle shells, as if the radiant sun itself had dulled its glow upon the earth, defying nature's balance with relentless greed... Though our world offers endless love, we too frequently overlook it, only rousing to the earth's cries when it is already in anguish, wondering if change is within our grasp." (A Century of Tears / NTU Hip-Hop Club). A total of 46 groups from high schools and universities nationwide engaged in original lyric and music creations through hip-hop student clubs throughout Taiwan. Following a 15-day preliminary round on the official YouTube channel, the collective views surpassed 150,000. Participating teams are giving their all for a coveted spot in the final showdown of the "Endless Flow! 2024 CYPHER Tournament" set for April 27th. This tournament calls on young people to care and advocate for the planet, drew over 200 students to participate. The top 20 finalists were unveiled on April 20th at 11:59 PM. The organizer, the Taipei Water Department, underscored that this event transcends mere competition; it serves as a catalyst to inspire youth creativity, offering an alternative avenue for environmental stewardship.

Commissioner Huan-ying Fan of the Taipei Water Department expressed admiration for the ingenuity demonstrated by over 200 students hailing from universities and high schools across the nation. He noted that their compositions, ranging from impassioned to contemplative, from mournful to satirical, articulate both outrage and introspection regarding degradation of the environment. Their music, he observed, resonates with depth and contagious energy, offering a window into the worldview of young minds. He believes that their enthusiasm for participating in the competition has already made a heartfelt contribution to the planet, touching others through the medium of music.

"I feel so chill, the urgency to save our planet persists; we cannot idly stand by and watch as turtles are ensnared by plastic straws. We need to redouble our vigilance in monitoring illicit emissions, to temper the use of air conditioning and to confront the harrowing plight of polar bears marooned on vanishing ice. Through the small act of garbage sorting, its ripple effects for the earth is nothing short of profound." (From Kaohsiung Municipal Kaohsiung High School/Shake Off Environmental Protection Team). The Taipei Water Department noted that this competition serves not merely as a contest but as a driver to inspire youthful creativity. The Taipei Water Department hopes various high school and university music clubs can leverage this opportunity for mutual learning, camaraderie and to take their nascent steps in music creation by gracing the stage with formal performances. Consequently, the Taipei Water Department intends for a broader audience to appreciate the compositions of contestants through the online preliminary round. As of April 20th, the top 10 most-viewed entries featured teams from esteemed institutions such as NTU, Yuan Ze University, Chihlee University of Technology, Tamkang University, Taipei Municipal Ming Lun Senior High School and Hsin Chuang Senior High School and Heping Senior High School, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, Yilan Senior High School, Tunghai University, Natioanl Tsing Hua University, and Chaoyang University of Technology, among others. Each participating team will be honored with a "Creative Incentive" of NT$10,000. The NTU Hip-Hop Club, which garnered the highest online viewership, will be bestowed the "Online Popularity Award," accompanied by a cash prize of NT$30,000 and the privilege of utilizing a professional music performing venue for a single performance. In just 15 days of the online preliminary round, the total views of the channels also exceeded 150,000.

According to the Taipei Water Department, this year's inaugural competition had 46 participating teams and seeing the enthusiastic participation of students, the Taipei Water Department decided to launch a second stage during the last week of the online preliminary round, allowing the school clubs ranked 11th to 20th to perform. Each participating team will also receive a high-quality imported microphone from a renowned brand as a reward for their club's creativity. The Taipei Water Department also hopes that this microphone can be passed down through generations to continue inspiring creativity.

The "Endless Flow! 2024 CYPHER Tournament" will be held on April 27th (Saturday) at the Gongguan Riverside Plaza in the Taipei Water Park. Each participating team will get to perform on stage, and the "Best Live Performance Award" will be selected based on the maximum decibel volume of the live audience! Supporters from all schools are welcome to come and cheer for their teams as they strive for glory. The highly anticipated finals competition will feature a lively music extravaganza that brings together hip-hop student clubs from across Taiwan.

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