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.

Overseas Compatriot School Group:

Contestants shall be students who study/studied in schools registered/filed with OCAC. Contestants must between 12 to 24 years old (birthdate from October 8 1998 to October 9 2010) and consent to apply for an Overseas Compatriot Card (I-Compatriot Card). Contestant does not have a passport issued by People’s Republic of China.

The online preliminary round is on an individual basis; online semi-final and Grand Final can be on 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; online semi-final and Grand Final can be on 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.

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 2022).

The online preliminary round is on an individual basis; online semi-final and Grand Final can be on 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.

 

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

Overseas Compatriot School Group:

• Online preliminary round: Qualified students who would like to participate should acquire an invitation code from their school. Overseas compatriot schools should apply for an invitation code from overseas mission of OCAC. The invitation code allows students to register and take part in the competition (must also agree to apply for the I-Compatriot Card). Contestants shall record a song from the designated music list and it will be adjudicated by the professional AI scoring system. Top 120 contestants will be shortlisted to the next round.
• Online semi-final: Shortlisted contestants shall choose a song from the designated music 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. The OCAC will invite professional judges to shortlist 15 finalists for the Grand Final. OCAC expatriate staff will confirm the eligibility of the contestants. OCAC may include an extra quota for Hokkien and Hakka song contestants in the Grand Final, subject to OCAC’s decision.
• Grand Final: The finalist shall choose a song from the designated music list (must be different song from semi-final) 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. The winners will be announced by professional judges.

Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning Group:

• Online preliminary round: Qualified students who would like to participate should acquire an invitation code from their school. Overseas compatriot schools should apply an invitation code from overseas OCAC. The invitation code allows students to register and take part in the competition (must also agree to apply for the I-Compatriot Card). Contestants shall record a song from the designated music list and it will be adjudicated by professional AI scoring system. The Top 15 contestants will be shortlisted to the next round.
• Online semi-final: Shortlisted contestants shall choose a song from the designated music 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 5 finalists for the Grand Final. OCAC expatriate staff will confirm the eligibility of the contestants. OCAC may include extra quota for Hokkien and Hakka song contestants in Grand Final but subject to OCAC’s decision.
• Grand Final: Generally, the finalists shall perform ONE designated song (must be different from semi-final) live. Adaptation and creativity are accepted.

Overseas Compatriot Students Studying in Taiwan Group:

• Online preliminary round: An interested student should sign up at the event website. Contestants shall record a song from the designated music list and it will be adjudicated by professional AI scoring system. Top 100 contestants will be shortlisted to the next round.
• Online semi-final: The 100 shortlisted contestants shall choose a song from the designated music 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 to Grand Final. OCAC staff will confirm the eligibility of contestants. OCAC may include an extra quota for Hokkien and Hakka song contestants in Grand Final but subject to OCAC’s decision.
• Grand Final: Finalists shall perform ONE designated song (must different from the semi-final) live. Adaptation and creativity are accepted.

Song selection:

Contestants shall select ONE song in each round. However, the song performed in the Grand Final shall different to semi-final.

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 by the number of singing skills. The more glide and vibrato, the higher the score (with limits on number of additional points times for each song).
• Air sound: If the number of air sounds in the recording file is less than five times, it will be considered as an instrument performance and judged as failed with 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.

Overseas Compatriot School Group:

• 1st prize winner USD $3,600
• 2nd prize winner USD $2,200
• 3rd prize winner USD $1,100
• 3 merit awards USD $360/prize
• “Best Hokkien Song Singer” award USD $1,100
• “Best Hakka Song Singer” award USD $1,100
• Every winner will be awarded a trophy and a certificate.

Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning Group:

• 1st prize winner USD $1,800
• 2nd prize winner USD $1,100
• 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
• Every winner will be awarded a trophy and a certificate.

All designated songs selected by contestants will be included in Top 3 and merit awards scoring. Contestants who sing Hokkien and Hakka songs will additionally be shortlisted for “Best Hokkien Song Singer” and “Best Hakka Song Singer” award. If no one chooses Hokkien and Hakka songs in the Grand Final, the award will be left vacant. The 1st place winner shall perform in the National Day Gala. If the winner is unable to attend, the award, prize money and National Day Gala performance opportunity will pass to the next runner-up. The original winner shall receive the next award and corresponding prize.

Overseas Compatriot Schools Group:

Every finalist in Grand Final will receive USD 600 for expenses, such as professional location (recording studio) and equipment rental, apparel fee, grooming fee, transportation fee, etc. OCAC will reimburse the expenses based on valid receipts only.

Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning Group:

OCAC will provide flight tickets to Taiwan for every finalist in the Grand Final based on [Guidelines for Application for Flight Tickets Subsidy

Overseas Compatriot Students Studying in Taiwan Group:

OCAC will provide return tickets of High-Speed Rail and accommodation fee for the rehearsal day (only for contestants who live farther than Hsinchu County). OCAC will reimburse the expenses based on valid receipts only.

Winners who are going to perform at the National Day Gala will be offered TWD $25,000 max for the apparel fee, grooming fee and accommodation fee, etc. OCAC will reimburse the expenses based on valid receipts only.

Overseas Compatriot Schools Group:

• Online preliminary round: Estimated from June 27th to July 31st.
• Online semi-final round: Upload video to event website from August 5th to August 21st, after review by professional judges the Grand finalists will be announced by August 31st.
• Grand Final: Overseas Compatriot School Grand Finalists must upload their videos to event website before September 13th.

Overseas Compatriot Students Studying in Taiwan and Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning Groups:

• Online preliminary round: Estimated from June 27th to July 31st.
• Online semi-final round: Upload video from August 5th to 21st 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 August 31st.

Grand Final: September 17th