Ho Ming-teh

Ho Ming-teh (; 1922–1998) was a Taiwanese engineer and community activist who built more than 200 bridges in remote areas of Taiwan. In 1995, he received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in recognition of his "good deeds and sturdy bridges".

Personal life Ho was born in Minxiong, a rural township in Chiayi County, into a poor farming family. He went on to study civil engineering at Juifang School of Civil Engineering, and worked for many years building irrigation sluices for the Chiayi County government. Ho also ran a grocer's shop in Chiayi.

Ho was a practising Buddhist and an active member of the Youtian Temple in Chiayi. Following the death of his son in a car accident, he decided to focus more on community activism, citing the Buddhist philosophy of helping others.

Ho died at his home in Chiayi on 1 February 1998 of liver disease. He was survived by his wife, four children and seven grandchildren; at the time of his death, he had built 228 bridges. His ashes were placed in Puzhao Temple.

Activism Starting in 1965, Ho began to take part in community activism; for example, in 1965 he began organising volunteers to fill potholes in Chiayi.

In 1971, Ho became aware of a wooden bridge that had been swept away in Chungpu Township; two brothers had subsequently drowned after attempting to ford their way to school. Ho launched a fundraising campaign to rebuild the bridge; within a few months, Ho had raised enough money to construct a new bridge with the support of 22 volunteers.

Upon the inauguration of his 100th bridge, Ho formally established the Chiayi Philanthropy Group. In addition to building bridges, the organisation also helped poor families pay for funeral expenses, and promoted Taiwanese people volunteering weekly to "the cheerful work of helping others"; the CPG would often meet groups of volunteers on Sundays before setting off to build bridges in Chiayi, Tainan and Yunlin counties. By 1995, the CPG had 80, 000 members and had built 215 bridges; by Ho's death in 1990, it had 220, 000 members and had built 229 bridges.

In 2002, the Ho Ming-teh Charitable Group was established by Ho's daughter, Chen, and her husband Hsiao, to carry on the legacy of the Chiayi Philanthropy Group. In 2021, two leaders of the Ho Ming-teh Charitable Group were charged with misappropriating NT$700 million from donations over 18 years.

Recognition In 1995, Ho was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in recognition of his "good deeds and sturdy bridges".