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Chen Shu-chu hailed from Yunlin County and relocated to Taitung County at the age of seven, completing her education at Jen-Ai elementary school.[1][2] She was raised in a household of eight, which were reliant on her father's income as a vegetable vendor. Due to the family's inability to cover medical expenses, her mother passed away in labor of a child.[2] At just 13, Chen stepped into the role of breadwinner, joining the ranks of vegetable vendors at Taitung Central Market to support her family.[2][3] Tragically, her youngest brother succumbed to influenza in 1969 due to the lack of medical treatment, followed by the loss of her second youngest sibling in a traffic accident. Despite these hardships, Chen persevered, shouldering the responsibility of financing her older brother's college education.
As her siblings established their own families, Chen opted to direct her philanthropic endeavors outward, aiming to prevent any potential discord over her wealth within her family circle.[1]
Philanthropy
After her father died in 1993, Chen donated NT$1 million to Fo Guang Buddhist Academy. In 1997, she donated NT$1 million to her alma mater, Jen-Ai elementary school.[1] Since she could not afford to go to school as a child, she wanted to help children receive better education. Later, she donated NT$4.5 million to Jen-Ai elementary school to build its own library.
In 2018, Chen was invited to attend the flag-raising ceremony during the National Day of the Republic of China held by Taitung City Government. At the ceremony, she announced that she had donated her two life insurance policies to East-based Medical Foundation Taitung Christian Hospital and Mackay Memorial Hospital Taitung Branch to set up "Ms. Chen Shu-chu Medical Fund for Poor and Cancer Patients" and "Ms. Chen Shu-chu Medical Fund for Charities", respectively.[5] The two insurance policies are worth NT$16,000,000.[5] The money will be paid by the insurer upon the death of Chen Shu-Chu.
Also in 2018, Chen officially retired following a bout of appendicitis early in the year, and moved to Kaohsiung.[6]
In 2021, Chen, in honour of her mother, donated NT$15 million to create a fund to provide financial aid to pregnant women and scholarships to children who lose their mothers in childbirth.[5]
Sensational Kindness is a 2011 biography of Chen written by Liu Yung-yi.[7] The writer spent about half a year interviewing Chen.
Accolades
She was selected as one of the Time 100 for year 2010 in the heroes category.[8] She was also one of the 48 heroes of philanthropy by Forbes in 2010.[9]Reader's Digest also honoured her as the winner of 2010 Asian of the year.[10]
