Lin Hsien-tang

Lin Hsien-tang (; 13 December 1881 – 8 September 1956) was a Taiwanese politician and activist who founded several political organizations and sat on the Japanese House of Peers.

Early life and family Lin Hsien-tang's earliest Taiwan-based ancestor was Lin Shi, who crossed the Taiwan Strait in 1746 and settled in Changhua, and is a progenitor of the , whose ancestral home is the Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden in Wufeng District, Taichung. Lin Hsien-tang was born in 1881 to and his wife, who died when Lin Hsien-tang was young. Lin was raised by his grandmother, tutored at home and became a wealthy landlord based in Taichung. Lin was a member of the Chestnut Leaved Oak Poetry Society, established in 1902, and offered his house as the headquarters for the group. Despite living on Japanese Taiwan from 1895, Lin Hsien-tang spoke only Hokkien and did not learn Japanese. The couple raised four children, sons , , Lin Yun-lung, and daughter Lin Guan-guan. Lin Hsien-tang was a patron of the arts, responsible for partial funding of Yen Shui-long's education in France.

Later life and activism Lin Hsien-tang was an admirer of Liang Qichao; Liang stressed to Lin that China would be unable to help end Japanese colonialism in Taiwan, and advised against armed rebellion. The , established by Lin in 1914 with the help of Itagaki Taisuke, espoused assimilation and equality between Japanese and Taiwanese. The publication was funded by Lin Hsien-tang, Lin Hsiung-cheng, Koo Hsien-jung, and . Lin Hsien-tang was a cofounder of the Taiwanese Cultural Association and Taiwanese People's Party. Lin took leadership roles in both organizations. While leading the Taiwanese Cultural Association, Lin headed the Petition Movement for the Establishment of a Taiwanese Parliament to secure Taiwanese representation within the imperial Japanese government. Starting in 1921, Lin submitted annual petitions to the Imperial Diet, asking to convene a Taiwan Provincial Assembly. The initiative, taken over by the League for the Establishment of a Formosan Parliament in 1923, was unsuccessful, and ended in 1934.

In May 1927, Lin embarked on a year-long trip across the world, spending most of his time in Europe and the United States. His travel writings included frequent social commentary, and appeared in Taiwan Minpao from 1927 to 1931.

After he returned to Taiwan, Lin and founded the in 1930, which advocated for local autonomy. Several members of the Taiwanese's People's Party that joined the new alliance were expelled from the party, and Lin withdrew from the party in protest. Lin himself was named to the House of Peers. Near the war's end, Lin and five others from Taiwan went to Shanghai to meet Kuomintang-affiliated officials and Taiwanese expatriates based in the city. While in Shanghai, Lin and his delegation were invited to attend the signing of an instrument of surrender between Yasuji Okamura and He Yingqin. However, the group did not arrive in time for the ceremony.

Lin began learning Mandarin, and lent his support to the Kuomintang. As the events of the uprising led to unrest in Taichung, Lin called for veteran military officer to led a resistance movement, distrusting 27 Brigade leader Hsieh Hsueh-hung for her communist beliefs. Lin remained a member of the Taiwan Representative Council after the uprising. The legislative body held little power, and Lin attempted to resign several times, only to be refused.