Chen Ta-ju
Chen Ta-ju (陳達儒), also known by his style name Fa Sheng, was a Taiwanese pop lyricist and businessman. He was born on February 10, 1917, in Wanhua, Taipei, Taiwan, and died on October 24, 1992, in Taipei, at Mackay Memorial Hospital, at age 75. He wrote about 300 lyrics in his lifetime and created many famous songs, including White Peony, Youthful Ridge, Bitter Heart, Anping Memories, Farewell by the Harbor, and Southern Nocturne. He is known for helping shape Taiwan’s early pop music scene.
In the 1930s, under Japanese rule, Chen rose as a key lyricist for Victor Records, writing songs that became very popular. He faced pressure from authorities who promoted Japanese language and culture, and he studied Chinese at night to help preserve Taiwanese culture. During World War II, he joined the Governor’s Office Police Superintendent’s Prisoner Training School and later worked as a police officer, resigning after the February 28 Incident in 1947.
After the war, Chen returned to lyric writing and published songbooks with the New Taiwan Song and Ballad Society, collaborating with friends like Su Tung. However, in the 1950s Mandarin Chinese dominated the music market, and many Taiwanese songs were discouraged, leading to a decline in his output around 1954. He then shifted to business, serving in roles at Ajinomoto Foods and later as a vice president of Chen-feng Refrigeration, before retiring.
In 1990, Chen Ta-ju received a Special Contribution Award at the Golden Melody Awards for his impact on Taiwanese music. He passed away in 1992 from cancer.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:35 (CET).