About Chen Tian
Lived 1900 – 1986. Chen Tian was a Taiwanese geisha, social activist and gē-tuànn.
Chen Tian ( , 1900–1986), also known as Tân Cheng-bûn , was a Taiwanese courtesan or and supporter of social movements in the Taiwanese resistance to Japanese rule. She was Chiang Wei-shui's concubine.
Life Around 1919, Chen Tian was a in a high-end restaurant in Taihoku. While working there she met Chiang Wei-shui, one of the founders of the Taiwanese Cultural Association (1921) and, later, the Taiwanese People's Party (1927). Chen married Chiang as a concubine. Chiang taught Chen how to read and write, and Chen began reading Chinese and Japanese books. Chen Tian joined the Taiwanese Cultural Association's Taipei Youth Reading Club. She was the club's only female member. Thereafter, Chen helped Chiang with his activism and, when Chiang was imprisoned (in 1924 and 1925), she supported him through correspondence, sending him clothes, books and articles by other activists, and also replaced him in lectures, giving speeches to promote his ideas.
After Chiang died on August 5, 1931, of typhoid fever, Chen became a nun in the . She resided there until her death in 1986.
Popular culture Chen Tian features in the musical The Impossible Times, based on Chiang Wei-shui's life.
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Important facts
People in Chen Tian's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Chen Tian's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Chen Tian?
Taiwanese social activist
When was Chen Tian born?
Chen Tian was born in 1900.
When did Chen Tian die?
Chen Tian died in 1986.
What was Chen Tian's occupation?
Chen Tian was a geisha, social activist and gē-tuànn.
What nationality was Chen Tian?
Chen Tian was Taiwanese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Chen Tian. https://biography.guide/chen-tian/
MLA: "Chen Tian." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/chen-tian/.
Chicago: "Chen Tian." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/chen-tian/.
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