Hsieh Tung-min

Hsieh Tung-min
謝東閔
Vice President of the Republic of China
In office 20 May 1978 – 20 May 1984
President	Chiang Ching-kuo
Preceded by	Yen Chia-kan
Succeeded by	Lee Teng-hui
Chairman of Taiwan Provincial Government
In office 6 June 1972 – 20 May 1978
Preceded by	Chen Ta-ching
Succeeded by	Lin Yang-kang
Magistrate of Kaohsiung County
In office 8 January 1946 – 1 October 1947
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Mao Chen-huan
Personal details
Born	25 January 1908 Tainan Prefecture, Taiwan, Empire of Japan
Died	9 April 2001(2001-04-09) (aged 93) Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
Nationality	Republic of China
Political party	Kuomintang
Alma mater	Sun Yat-sen University

Shieh Tung-min
Traditional Chinese	謝東閔
Simplified Chinese	谢东闵
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xiè Dōngmǐn Southern Min Hokkien POJ Siā Tang-bín

Hsieh Tung-min (Chinese: 謝東閔; pinyin: Xiè Dōngmǐn; January 25, 1908 – April 9, 2001) was the ninth Governor of Taiwan Province (1972–1978), the sixth and first local Taiwanese Vice President of the Republic of China (1978–1984) under president Chiang Ching-kuo.

Family and early life

Hsieh was born to an ordinary farming family in the Japanese colony of Taiwan. He was educated in Taichu (Taichung) in 1922. He graduated from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou in 1928. Afterwards, he became a columnist in Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

His brother, Shieh Min-chu is the president of Shih Chien University. His son is a physician.

Road into politics

In 1942, Hsieh was invited to plan the Taiwan office of Kuomintang. During 1943 - 1945, he worked for anti-Japan activities in Guangdong.

In 1945, after 20 and half years in the mainland, he went back to Taiwan as a KMT official. He became the first magistrate of Kaohsiung County in 1948, later Vice-director of Education of Taiwan Province, chancellor of National Taiwan Normal University, Secretary of Taiwan Province and Chief Councillor of Taiwan Province Council.

Governor of Taiwan Province

Tung-min became the ninth governor of Taiwan Province in 1972. On October 10, 1976, he received a parcel bomb from Taiwanese nationalist Wang Sing-nan (who now serves as a legislator for the Democratic Progressive Party). The bomb destroyed both of Shieh's hands. To avoid scurvy, the hospital decided to cut his left hand and gave him an artificial left hand.

Later political life

Hsieh became vice president on May 20, 1978. Afterwards he became senior secretary of the Presidential Office until his death in 2001.

Contributions to education in Taiwan

On March 26, 1958, Hsieh set up the first private university, the Shih Chien University in Kaohsiung. During his governorship and vice-presidency, he worked hard on educational affairs and success to make all people of the new generations of Taiwan to be educated.