Taipei Water Department

　　Hosted by the Taipei Water Department, Endless Flow! 2026 Cypher Tournament is Taiwan’s pioneering interschool hip-hop club competition and has now entered its third year. This year’s event reached new milestones, attracting more than 100 entries, students from 95 schools, and nearly 200 participants. Competing schools included 46 universities, 47 senior high schools, and 2 junior high schools. After nearly one month of online preliminary competition, 107 original tracks generated 250,000 views on the official YouTube channel, and the finalists for the live championship round have now been announced. Taipei Water Department Commissioner Fan Huan-ying said that this year saw more cross-school teams, including collaborations between senior high school and university students. He noted that encouraging young people to connect, create, and share their lives through hip-hop music has always been the original vision of the competition.

　　According to the Department, the top ten teams in the Cypher Division will advance to the live finals on April 25. Each finalist team will first receive a Creative Incentive Award of NT$15,000. On the day of the finals, three heavyweight judges from Taiwan’s hip-hop scene, including Long Hu Men Hip-Hop founder DJ GREY, academic rap mentor ILL MO, and War Convict Studio founder GreenTed, will select the winners of the Best Live Performance Award, with prizes of NT$30,000, NT$20,000, and NT$10,000. Winners will also earn the opportunity to perform on the stage of the 2026 ChillOut Festival.

　　Finalists in the Cypher Division include teams representing: Fu Jen Catholic University & National Formosa University & Yuda High School; Shih Hsin University & Chihlee University of Technology; Beimen Senior High School & Fu Jen Catholic University & Ming Chi University of Technology; Tamkang University & Tamsui Vocational High School & Kuang Hua Vocational High School; Taichung First Senior High School & Cingshuei Senior High School; Chaoyang University of Technology; Shih Hsin University & Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages & National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology; Wu-Ling Senior High School & Taoyuan Senior High School & Neili Senior High School & Longtan Senior High School; National Tsing Hua University; National Taiwan University & Tamkang University & Chung Yuan Christian University & National Chung Hsing University.

　　Finalists in the Individual Division include HZzz of Fu Jen Catholic University with WHY (Cat 46), Hsin Tsai-hsun of Fu Jen Catholic University with Pick Up My Phone (Please Answer If You Hear This) (prod. Iledless), and minho of Taoyuan Senior High School with The Good Kid Who Was Broken. They will compete in the live finals for the Best Individual Creation Award, with prizes of NT$15,000, NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 for first, second, and third place, respectively.

　　This year’s creative theme, All about LOVE, inspired entries exploring the innocence of first love, profound longing, youthful melancholy, and hopes for the future. Participants sang lyrics such as: “On the road home, the sunset poured down golden rain, while salty tears ran down my face. Back in the warmth of home, Grandma had dinner ready. A hot bath relaxed my numbed senses. Keep moving forward, even if there is a mountain ahead. You will cross it as long as you stay optimistic… Beauty has never been absent, only overlooked. It’s all about the love.” They also expressed sentiments such as: “In this age filled with love, we seem to have forgotten what love is. Love is talking until three in the morning even when we are far apart. Love is sharing the meals we eat each day. Love is traveling the world together, leaving footprints and marks behind. Love is learning to love myself before I can love you a little more.”

　　The Taipei Water Department emphasized that all 107 original entries are well worth hearing, with each song reflecting the thoughts and emotions of today’s youth. Endless Flow! 2026 Cypher Tournament brings people together across ages and backgrounds, using the honesty and sincerity of hip-hop music to express love for friends, family, partners, the environment, and the wider world.