Chen Shuju is a traditional market vegetable vendor and philanthropist in Taitung, Taiwan. She is widely recognized for her continuous contributions to society, accumulating substantial donations over the years. Her fame stems from her humbly selling vegetables at three bundles for NT$50 for over 20 years, living frugally, and dedicating herself to long-term charitable endeavors, such as assisting orphans, building school libraries, and supporting children’s foundations.
Her donations have amounted to tens of millions of Taiwan dollars. Despite having only a primary school education, she has been hailed as an “Asian Charity Hero” and “Public Benefactor of the Year,” even with renowned movie director Ang Lee writing a recommendation letter for her. However, when facing the media, she remains modest, stating: “I’m not a hero, just a vegetable seller. Donating money is very ordinary; money only holds meaning when it helps those in need.”
Chen Shuju’s mother died in childbirth
Born in 1950 in Yunlin, Chen Shuju was the second child among her siblings. Her parents were traditional market vendors of fruits and vegetables, raising four sons and two daughters. Tragically, during childbirth, her mother passed away along with the unborn baby while on the way to the hospital. From then on, Chen Shuju shouldered the responsibility of supporting her family.
Starting at her mother’s rented vegetable stall in the Central Market of Taitung, she worked hard to help her older brother pursue further education and raised her younger brothers to adulthood. In 1969, her third brother fell seriously ill with influenza and, despite medical treatment, passed away. Later, her second brother also passed away in a car accident. Though bitter and heart-wrenching, these tragedies further motivated her to focus her time and energy on selling vegetables.
She sought solace at Hai Shan Temple, finding strength in her Buddhist faith to let go of her sorrows. From then on, she continued to donate the proceeds of her vegetable sales to various charitable causes.
In 1997, she donated NT$1 million to her alma mater, Ren’ai Elementary School, to establish emergency relief scholarships. In 2005, she donated NT$4.5 million to the same school to construct a library. Additionally, she adopted three orphans from Taitung Onesiphorus Children’s Home, donating another NT$1 million and regularly contributing NT$36,000 annually.
In 2010, Chen Shuju gained widespread recognition through media exposure, earning the title of one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. On July 25, 2012, she was honored with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for her years of philanthropy. Personally awarded by Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, he praised her for radiating the brilliance of humanity. Chen Shuju dedicated the award to her loved ones and donated the entire US$50,000 prize to Taitung Mackay Memorial Hospital.
Before the Lunar New Year in 2018, she fell ill at her vegetable stall and underwent emergency surgery. She continued to recuperate at home, temporarily closing her stall. Despite this, in October of the same year, she generously donated two life insurance policies valued at NT$16 million, establishing the “Chen Shuju Medical Poverty and Cancer Patient Care Fund” in collaboration with the Taitung Mackay Memorial Hospital and the Taitung Christian Hospital, aiming to assist medical care in remote areas. In 2021, she donated another NT$15 million to the Taitung County Government to help disadvantaged groups.
In 2018, the Lulin Observatory of the National Central University in Taiwan discovered two new asteroids in the solar system. One of them, designated as asteroid number 278986, was named after Chen Shuju, symbolizing her acts of kindness and displaying the most beautiful aspect of human nature on Earth.
Translated by Katy Liu and edited by Amanda
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