3
Rules and Schedule
  • Eligibility
    Eligibility
  • Contest Description
    Contest Description
  • Rules
    Rules
  • Awards
    Awards
  • Schedule
    Schedule
Purpose
The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC), the Ministry of Culture (MOC), and Hakka Affairs Council(HAC) are co-hosting an international Mandarin, Hokkien and Hakka singing contest to encourage global overseas compatriot school students, Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning students, and overseas compatriot students studying in Taiwan to learn Mandarin, Hokkien and Hakka languages through singing contest, showing their musical talent. Provide a global live streaming platform by working with National Day Gala to encourage the overseas new generation to show their talent on stage.

Eligibility
Overseas Compatriot School (Community) Group:

Contestants shall be students who study/studied in schools registered/filed with the  OCAC. Contestants must be 12 to 24 years old (birthdate from October 8, 1999 to October 9, 2011) and consent to apply for an Overseas Compatriot Card (I-Compatriot Card). Contestants must not hold a passport issued by the People’s Republic of China.

The online preliminary round is on an individual basis; the online semi-final and Grand Final can be on a group basis: Contestants can form a group (including voice and accompaniment) and the members should be the eligible overseas compatriot students, but each person is limited to register in one group.

Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning Group:

Contestants shall be students who study in a Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning approved by OCAC, and consent to apply for an Overseas Compatriot Card (I-Compatriot Card).

The online preliminary round is on an individual basis; the online semi-final and Grand Final can be on a group basis: Contestants can form a group (including voice and accompaniment,) the members of which should be eligible overseas compatriot students, but each person is limited to registering for one group.

Overseas Compatriot Students Studying in Taiwan Group:

Contestants shall be overseas compatriot students (including Hong Kong and Macau students but excluding Mainland Chinese students and foreign students) studying in Taiwan (including those who graduate in 2023) and consent to apply for an Overseas Compatriot Card (I-Compatriot Card).

The online preliminary round is on an individual basis; the online semi-final and Grand Final can be on a group basis: Contestants can form a group (including voice and accompaniment) and the members of which should be eligible overseas compatriot students, but each person is limited to register in one group.

Professional singers who are contracted to a record company are not allowed to participate. The overall winners from previous years are not ineligible to participate in the upcoming 3 years.


Contest Description
Overseas Compatriot School Group:
Online preliminary round:

Students registered with our organization, including students from overseas compatriot schools, Formosa Association of Student Cultural Ambassadors(FASCA), and children of members of our affiliated overseas compatriot organizations (overseas compatriot descendants). Contestants need to apply for a competition identification code from an overseas unit, which they will use to register and take part in the event on the dedicated website (consent for applying for an "I-Compatriot Card" is also required). Contestants shall record a song from the designated list and it will be adjudicated by the professional AI scoring system. The top 60 contestants will be shortlisted for the next round.

Online semi-final:

Contestants selected from the online preliminary round, along with 60 additional participants recommended by various overseas compatriot community or schools (totaling 120 contestants, with the possibility of adjusting the quota based on circumstances), will be instructed to choose one designated song and record a performance video. The video should be a single continuous shot, allowing for personal adaptation and creativity, but without post-production audio editing. After completing the video recording, participants will upload it to the event website, where a panel of professional judges will select 15 finalists. The eligibility of the finalists will be confirmed by overseas personnel. Additionally, the quota for Hokkien and Hakka songs in the final round may be increased based on circumstances.

Grand Final:

Contestants in the final round will select one song of their choice (different from the semi-finals) or perform an original composition. The performance video should be a single continuous shot, allowing for personal adaptation and creativity, but without post-production audio editing. After completing the video recording, contestants will upload it to the event website, and the winners will be determined by a panel of professional judges.

Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning Group:
Online preliminary round:

Students enrolled in an approved Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning who wish to participate will need to apply for a competition identification code from an overseas unit. Students must then use this code to register and participate on the event website (along with agreeing to apply for an I-Compatriot Card). They will be required to perform one designated song, which will be evaluated by a dedicated AI system based on predefined criteria. The top 10 individuals/groups will be selected based on their scores.

Online semi-final:

Participants selected from the online preliminary round, along with 10 additional individuals/ groups recommended by various overseas compatriot organizations or schools (limited to students of a Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning , totaling 20 individuals/ groups, with the possibility of adjusting the admission quota), will be required to choose one designated song from our list and record a performance video. The video should be a single continuous shot, allowing for personal adaptation and creativity, but without post-production audio editing. Once the video recording is completed, participants will upload it to the event website. A panel of professional judges will then select 5 finalists, whose eligibility will be confirmed by overseas personnel. Additionally, the quota for Hokkien and Hakka songs in the final round may be increased based on circumstances.

Grand Final:

Participants in the final round will choose one song of their choice (different from the semi-finals) or perform an original composition. The performance video should be a single continuous shot, allowing for personal adaptation and creativity, but without post-production audio editing. After completing the video recording, participants will upload it to the event website, and the winners will be determined by a panel of professional judges.

Overseas Compatriot Students Studying in Taiwan Group:
Online preliminary round:

Eligible participants should sign up on the event website (along with agreeing to apply for an I-Compatriot Card). Contestants shall record a song from the designated song list and it will be adjudicated by a professional AI scoring system. The top 100 contestants will be shortlisted to the next round.

Online semi-final:

The 100 shortlisted contestants shall choose a song from the designated  list and record a performance video in one continuous shot. Adaptation and creativity are encouraged. Audio post-production is strictly prohibited. The performance video shall be uploaded to the event website. OCAC will invite professional judges to shortlist 15 finalists for the Grand Final. OCAC staff will confirm the eligibility of contestants. The OCAC may include an extra quota for Hokkien and Hakka song contestants in the Grand Final, but subject to its decision (additional qualifiers must perform a song in the same dialect in the final round).

Grand Final:

Participants can choose one song from the designated song list to perform (which must be different from the semi-finals), or they can perform an original song. They are allowed to make their own arrangements and add creative elements. The competition primarily focuses on live performances.


Rules
Song selection:
In the online preliminary round and online semi-finals, each group of participants will choose one song from the designated song list to perform. In the final round, participants can choose one song from the designated song list or participate with an original song. For the original song, it must be composed in Mandarin, Hokkien, or Hakka and include both lyrics and melody (if registered under the same team name, different team members can contribute to the lyrics or melody). Additionally, the performance song in the final round must be different from the one performed in the semi-finals.
Designated songs:
35 songs in total, including 15 in Mandarin, 10 in Hokkien, and 10 in Hakka.
Music arrangement and accompaniment:
Online preliminary round: Contestants must sing accordingly to the original song arrangement for AI scoring. Instrument accompaniment is not required in this round.
Online semi-final and Grand Final: Contestants are allowed to do adaptation, and/or add vocal and music instrument accompaniments.
Good faith principle:
Entries must comply with the competition rules. Stand-in and lip-sync are strictly prohibited. The video should be recorded in one continuous shot and it is not allowed to edit by any audio post-production software. Any violation of the above rules may result in disqualification.
Scoring standard:
Interval: The pitch, the closer to the standard pitch, the higher the score.
Long tone: The stability of the tone. The longer the pitch is maintained at the standard pitch, the higher the score.
Rhythm: The beats. The closer the sound starting point to the standard starting point, the higher the score.
Circumflex: The emotional score expressed by the volume. The greater the volume change, the higher the score.
Skills: bonus points are added according to singing skills displayed. The more glide and vibrato, the higher the score (with limits on the number of additional points times for each song).
Aspirations: If the number of aspirations in the recording file is less than five times, it will be considered as an instrumental performance and given 0 points.
If the contestants have the same total score, the ranking will be based on the score of interval, rhythm, long note, technique, and inflection.

Awards
Overseas Compatriot School/Community Group:
1st prize winner USD $2,800
2nd prize winner USD $1,700
3rd prize winner USD $800
3 merit awards USD $330/prize
"Best Hokkien Song Singer" award USD $800
"Best Hakka Song Singer" award USD $800
For participants who choose to perform songs in Hokkien and Hakka, their performances will be evaluated not only for the specific awards dedicated to those languages but also included in the overall top three rankings and honorable mentions. Every winner will be awarded a trophy and a certificate.
Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning Group:
1st prize winner USD $2,800
2nd prize winner USD $1,700
3rd prize winner USD $550
Every winner will be awarded a trophy and a certificate.
Overseas Compatriot Students Studying in Taiwan Group:
1st prize winner TWD $100,000
2nd prize winner TWD $60,000
3rd prize winner TWD $30,000
3 merit awards TWD $10,000/prize
"Best Hokkien Song Singer" award TWD $30,000
"Best Hakka Song Singer" award TWD $30,000
For participants who choose to perform songs in Hokkien and Hakka, their performances will be evaluated not only for the specific awards dedicated to those languages but also included in the overall top three rankings and honorable mentions. Every winner will be awarded a trophy and a certificate.

Schedule
Overseas Compatriot Schools and Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning Groups: 
Online preliminary round: Estimated from July 13th to August 13th.
Online semi-final round: Upload video to the event website from August 18th to August 31st, after review by professional judges the Grand finalists will be announced by September 8th.
Grand Final: September 23rd. Finalists must upload their videos to the event website before September 20th.
Overseas Compatriot Students Studying in Taiwan: 
Online preliminary round: Estimated from July 13th to August 13th.
Online semi-final round: Upload video from August 18th to August 31st to the event website. After review by professional judges the shortlisted 15 Overseas Compatriot Students Studying in Taiwan and 5 Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning Grand Finalists will be announced by September 8th.
Grand Final: September 23rd.

Website:
Organizer:
Co-organizer: