Chen Chi-lu (; 27 April 1923 – 6 October 2014) was a Taiwanese politician, historian and anthropologist. He was the first Minister of the Council for Cultural Affairs, taking office in 1981 and serving until 1988.

Education and early career

Chen was born on 27 April 1923 in

Tainan Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Tainan City, Chiayi City, Chiayi County, and Yunlin County. Population Administrative divisions Cities and districts In ...

during the

Japanese rule of Taiwan The Geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, together with the Penghu, Penghu Islands, became an annexed territory of the Empire of Japan in 1895, when the Qing dynasty ceded Taiwan Province, Fujian-Taiwan Province in the Treaty of Shimonoseki a ...

. Chen moved with his parents when he was still a child to China, then Japan, where he attended First Senior High School in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. Chen then returned to China, enrolling at St. John's University in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

. He received his bachelor's degree in political science and economics in 1948. Upon graduation from Shanghai, Chen returned to Taiwan and worked for ''Public Opinion Daily'' () as an editor. He obtained his master's degree at the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; ) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1889 by the New Mexico Territorial Legislature, it is the state's second oldest university, a flagship university in th ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1954. Subsequently, Chen began teaching anthropology at

National Taiwan University National Taiwan University (NTU; zh, t=國立臺灣大學, poj=Kok-li̍p Tâi-oân Tāi-ha̍k, p=, s=) is a National university, national Public university, public research university in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in 1928 during Taiwan under J ...

(NTU). He earned his doctoral degree in sociology from

University of Tokyo The University of Tokyo (, abbreviated as in Japanese and UTokyo in English) is a public research university in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1877 as the nation's first modern university by the merger of several pre-westernisation era ins ...

in Japan in 1966, after which he became a professor of anthropology at NTU. In 1976, he was elected an academician of the

Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, ; zh, t=中央研究院) is the national academy of the Taiwan, Republic of China. It is headquartered in Nangang District, Taipei, Nangang, Taipei. Founded in Nanjing, the academy supports research activities in mathemat ...

Later career and death

While leading the Council for Cultural Affairs, Chen hosted various art exhibitions, proposed the establishment of folk and cultural parks and preserved old traditional architecture in Taiwan. Chen died on 6 October 2014 due to multiple organ failure.

References

1923 births 2014 deaths Ministers of culture of Taiwan Politicians of the Republic of China on Taiwan from Tainan 20th-century Taiwanese historians Taiwanese anthropologists St. John's University, Shanghai alumni University of New Mexico alumni University of Tokyo alumni Academic staff of the National Taiwan University Members of Academia Sinica {{Taiwan-politician-stub