Shi Wen-long or Hsu Wen-lung (; 25 February 1928 – 18 November 2023) was a Taiwanese businessman and the founder of Chi Mei Corporation, the largest maker of ABS resin in the world. He was ranked among

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

' world's richest people. He was the chairman of Chi Mei until his resignation in 2004, although he still held significant stakes in the company and sat on its

board Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ...

. Shi was a senior advisor to

Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian ( zh, t=陳水扁; born 12 October 1950) is a Taiwanese former politician and lawyer who served as the fifth president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progres ...

during his presidency and was known to support pro-

Taiwan independence Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of Chi ...

causes, a stance which made him unpopular with

mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...

. He claimed that Taiwanese women who acted as

comfort women Comfort women were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. The term ''comfort women'' is a translation of the Japanese , a euphemism ...

during Japanese rule were not forced to do so, which created much controversy. Reportedly, Chi Mei Group faced pressure from the Chinese government, and after the Anti-Secession Law passed in 2005, Shi renounced Taiwan independence. In 1992, Shi founded the Chimei Museum, which collects valuable string instruments made by

Antonio Stradivari Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinisation of names, Latinized form of his surname, ''Stradivarius'', a ...

Guarneri del Gesù Bartolomeo Giuseppe "del Gesù" Guarneri (, , ; 21 August 1698 – 17 October 1744) was an Italian luthier from the Guarneri family of Cremona. He rivals Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) with regard to the respect and reverence accorded his inst ...

, and other famous artisans. The museum holds the world's largest collection of violins. Shi was an amateur performing concert violinist. Shi Wen-long died on 18 November 2023, at the age of 95.

References

External links

Hsu's letter a timely lesson for everyone
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shi, Wen-long 1928 births 2023 deaths 20th-century Taiwanese businesspeople Taiwanese violinists Senior advisors to President Chen Shui-bian Taiwanese billionaires Politicians of the Republic of China on Taiwan from Tainan Taiwanese people of Hoklo descent 21st-century violinists Winners of the Nikkei Asia Prize 21st-century Taiwanese businesspeople Taiwanese company founders Businesspeople from Tainan Museum founders