Chen Shu-chu
Philanthropist Vegetable Vendor & Time 100 Honoree
Modern Taiwan
1950–
Chen Shu-chu, born in 1950 in Taitung, is a figure known internationally for doing good through the strength of an ordinary person. Born into poverty, she lost her mother in her teens because the family could not afford medical care, after which she left school to shoulder the household, selling vegetables at a stall in Taitung's Central Market and raising many younger siblings. Frugal and hardworking all her life, rising early and living simply, she nonetheless gave away much of her hard-earned savings to charity. Over decades she donated to schools, orphanages, libraries, and medical institutions, amounts totaling millions and even tens of millions of NT dollars, far beyond what most would imagine. Her good works were long kept quiet, becoming widely known only after the media discovered them, moving countless Taiwanese. In 2010 she appeared on both Time magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people and Forbes Asia's list of philanthropy heroes, letting the world see the goodness of Taiwan's grassroots. Amid the praise she remained humble, saying that doing good was simply "putting money to meaningful use," and continued to labor in the market. Her story became a symbol of Taiwan's civil society and the spirit of ordinary people's charity. Chen is seen as a model of extraordinary goodness achieved from an ordinary station, her long years of selfless giving revealing the resilient and warm side of the grassroots of Taiwanese society.
Donated her savings over decades to help students and the poor
Named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people (2010)
Philanthropist Vegetable Vendor & Time 100 Honoree
Chen Shu-chu
Era
Modern Taiwan
Lifespan
1950–
Chen Shu-chu, born in 1950 in Taitung, is a figure known internationally for doing good through the strength of an ordinary person. Born into poverty, she lost her mother in her teens because the family could not afford medical care, after which she left school to shoulder the household, selling vegetables at a stall in Taitung's Central Market and raising many younger siblings. Frugal and hardworking all her life, rising early and living simply, she nonetheless gave away much of her hard-earned savings to charity. Over decades she donated to schools, orphanages, libraries, and medical institutions, amounts totaling millions and even tens of millions of NT dollars, far beyond what most would imagine. Her good works were long kept quiet, becoming widely known only after the media discovered them, moving countless Taiwanese. In 2010 she appeared on both Time magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people and Forbes Asia's list of philanthropy heroes, letting the world see the goodness of Taiwan's grassroots. Amid the praise she remained humble, saying that doing good was simply "putting money to meaningful use," and continued to labor in the market. Her story became a symbol of Taiwan's civil society and the spirit of ordinary people's charity. Chen is seen as a model of extraordinary goodness achieved from an ordinary station, her long years of selfless giving revealing the resilient and warm side of the grassroots of Taiwanese society.
Donated her savings over decades to help students and the poor
Named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people (2010)