Lin Wen-cha was born in 1828 into the Wufeng Lin family of central Taiwan, a clan that would rise through his exploits from local strongmen to one of the island's great gentry houses. In an age of feuds and disorder he built a formidable private militia, and when he led his Taiwanese braves across the strait to fight the Taiping rebels who were convulsing the Qing empire, his talent as a commander won swift promotion. Recalled to Taiwan, he played a decisive part in crushing the Dai Chao-chun rebellion of the early 1860s, the last of the great mid-century revolts, cementing both the empire's control and his family's dominance in the central plains. His service carried him to the rank of provincial military commander for Fujian, an extraordinary height for a Taiwanese of his day. But the wars that made him also claimed him: sent back to the mainland to fight, Lin Wen-cha was killed in battle against Taiping forces near Zhangzhou in 1864, still in his thirties. His death in imperial service earned the Wufeng Lin family lasting honours and vast landholdings, laying the foundation for its later prominence — a dynasty built on the battlefield.

• Led Taiwanese braves against the Taiping rebels in China

• Crushed the Dai Chao-chun rebellion in Taiwan (1860s)