Representative Figures of 20th Century Taiwan

Yuan-Tseh Lee was born on December 19, 1936, in Hsinchu, Taiwan. He attended Hsinchu Elementary School and Hsinchu High School. In 1955, he was admitted to the Department of Chemical Engineering at National Taiwan University (NTU), but transferred to the Department of Chemistry in his second year. He graduated from NTU in 1959 and received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1965. He taught at Harvard University and the University of Chicago, and became a professor in the Department of Chemistry at UC Berkeley in 1974. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1979 and an academician of the Academia Sinica in 1980.

Influenced by his maternal grandfather, Lin Sheng-Hsien chose to attend Changhua Industrial High School during his junior high school years. While there, he read many biographies of scientists and began to aspire to become an outstanding scientist himself. After graduating, he entered Jian Guo High School. Starting in his second year of high school, a math teacher sparked his interest in mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

Li Hong-Xi is currently the most politically influential professor in Taiwan. From President Chen Shui-bian and DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh to Taipei County Magistrate Su Tseng-Chang, many of his students have been his protégés. With his exceptional oratory skills, he has helped his beloved students secure positions in the Presidential Office, Kaohsiung City Government, and Taipei County Government. A truly Renaissance-level teacher like Professor Li is now extremely rare.

In 1989, when Lin Chun-Yi published his complete works on ecology, he stated: "Unless we acknowledge that the 'Foolish Old Man Moving Mountains' movement is an arrogant act against ecology, our environment will not improve; unless we acknowledge that nature must be treated with the same respect as humans, the earth's backlash will become increasingly severe."

Li Qiao is a quintessential figure in the literary and artistic fusion movement. He is not only one of the most prolific novelists in modern Taiwan, but also the creator of the groundbreaking Great River Novel Trilogy, *The Cold Night Trilogy*. He is also a prime example of the perfect fusion of cultural and political movements. His skill in cultural criticism far surpasses that of Yu Qiuyu in China. He is not only a literary creator and theorist, but also a literary activist. Recently, he has planned a series of popular and critically acclaimed television programs, vividly bringing the works of renowned Taiwanese literary figures to the television screen. Currently, he is the president of the Taiwan PEN Center and the publisher of *Taiwan Literature*, founded by Wu Zhuoliu.

He debunked a myth and shattered a taboo, enabling the people of Taiwan to understand the meaning of light from the darkness.

Tainan People's Pride: Lin Tsung-Yi: A Vision for the New Century

Although the rise of Western modern music originated after the Italian Renaissance, it was in Germany and Austria that it reached its zenith and became a major center of the global music scene. Even now, concert programs around the world still focus on composers from Germany and Austria, with Bach, Handel, and Haydn becoming the founders of the Western classical music tradition.

I first met Pastor Kao Chun-Ming shortly after he was released from prison following his ordeal for righteousness. He visited his relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Liu Xiang-Ren, in the small town of Irvine, USA. At that time, Dr. Liu invited Mr. and Mrs. Lin Yi-Xiong and Fang Su-Min to accompany my wife and me. It was a heartwarming gathering that I will never forget. From that day on, I looked forward to the day when I could publish a biography of his colorful and extraordinary life. Heaven rewards those who persevere. Through the efforts of Ms. Hu Hui-Ling, my dream is finally about to come true.

Choosing the most outstanding Taiwanese artist of the past century would be quite difficult and subjective, with each person likely having a different opinion. Some might choose Liao Chi-Chun, while others might choose Li Shih-Chiao, Li Mei-Shu, Yen Shui-Lung, Chen Cheng-Po, and others. However, choosing the art critic of the past century who has made the most contributions to the Taiwanese art world and has the best writing skills is not so difficult; everyone would immediately think of Hsieh Li-Fa.