In their work they sought to carry forward this distinct Taiwanese cultural identity that existed apart from the colonizing efforts of China and Japan.
These, the mother tongues of the majority of the island's natives, became in their hands the vehicles for serious literature, including essays, plays, and epic poetry.
They made the island itself the center of their perspective on history and looked to local traditions and lore as fuel for creative ideas.
Authors drew inspiration from a number of literary figures abroad: Poland's Zbigniew Herbert and Czesław Miłosz; Czech poets Jaroslav Seifert, Antonín Bartušek [cs] and Miroslav Holub; Russia's Joseph Brodsky; France's André Gide and Paul Valéry; Turkey's Nazim Hikmet, Japan's Tamura Ryuichi.
Taiwan's universities today offer recognize the languages and works championed by the movement as major fields of study.