Lin Qiong-xian (林瓊仙)
Lin Qiong-xian (林瓊仙) was a prominent member of the Fengyuan family and the mother of biochemist |廖述宗 (Liao Shu-zong). She was known for her热心公益 (enthusiasm for public welfare), matchmaking skills, and dedication to her family.
Identity Snapshot
- English: Lin Qiong-xian
- Chinese: 林瓊仙
- Hometown: 豐原 (Fengyuan), Taiwan
- Spouse: 廖繼春 (Liao Jichun), famous painter
- Children: 8 (including 廖述宗 as third child)
- Education: Graduate of 彰化高女 (Changhua Girls’ Normal School), 2nd class
- Geography: Fengyuan, Tainan, Taiwan; Chicago (later)
- Core roles: Community volunteer; art teacher; matchmaker; mother of 8
Background and Education
Lin Qiong-xian came from a prominent family in 豐原 (Fengyuan), Taiwan. She graduated from 彰化高女 (彰化女子高級中學 / Changhua Girls’ Normal School), the 2nd class of its graduating cohort — an achievement that was notable for women in Taiwan during that era.
Public Service and Community Work
She was known for being 热心公益 (enthusiastically involved in public welfare causes). Beyond her community work, she also taught art at a school in Tainan, following in the artistic spirit of her husband |廖繼春.
Matchmaking and Family
Lin Qiong-xian was skilled at matchmaking. When her son 廖述宗 received his PhD from the US without a wife, she took matters into her own hands. She arranged a meeting with a fellow townsman’s daughter who was coming to Chicago for graduate studies — resulting in the marriage of |廖述宗 to |郭淑卿 (Kuo Shu-qing) in 1960.
Family Life
The family ran a stationery shop called “文藝社” (Wenyi She) at home. Lin Qiong-xian raised eight children with great dedication, managing household affairs, the family shop, and supporting her husband’s artistic career.
Timeline (from cited sources)
- Graduated 彰化高女 2nd class — a notable achievement for women of her era
- Married painter |廖繼春; ran the family stationery shop 「文藝社」 from home in 豐原
- Taught art at a school in Tainan, in the artistic spirit of her husband
- 1960 — arranged and matched the Chicago marriage of son |廖述宗 to |郭淑卿, a fellow townsman’s daughter coming for graduate studies
- Later life in Chicago; remembered for 热心公益 public-welfare work and for raising 8 children while supporting her husband’s artistic career
- Yang Jia-you’s memorial recalls her as from 清水 (Qingshui), the same hometown as the Yang family — see |楊嘉猷 (Charles Yang)
Deepen pass 2026-09-10 (vault-only)
Cross-links from the same cited source set (2017 TAHS Publication + TAH Who’s Who records in the vault):
- Son |廖述宗 has a second, TAH-sourced page |Prof. Shutsung Liao: Univ. of Chicago Ph.D. 1961 (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology), professor at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology there, 1980 founding president of the North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association (NATPA). The TAH record there holds a date conflict (1931–2015 vs the TAHS bio’s death 2017) — deliberately unmerged.
- Daughter-in-law |郭淑卿 also appears in TAH Who’s Who as |Shuching Liao (廖郭淑卿) (TAH #478, 1934–2015, 東京神學院 B.S., 芝加哥大學神學院 M.S., 台灣台中) — the 1960 Chicago marriage Lin Qiong-xian arranged produced four daughters: 廖慈瑛, 廖慈芬, 廖慈明, 廖慈卿.
- The matchmaking target was a fellow townsman’s daughter coming to Chicago for graduate studies — consistent with her own theological training in Tokyo and Chicago.
Network
Pages that link to lin-qiong-xian (lin-qiong-xian):
People (2)
Source Notes and Confidence
- Content priority A: 2017 TAHS Publication 生命的執著 (The Persistence of Life) — Liao Shu-zong profile, Part 2, mentions of mother
- Content priority A: Memorial by |楊嘉猷 (Charles Yang), Part 2, L22–23 — mentions 林瓊仙 as from 清水 (Qingshui), same hometown as Yang family
- Hub: |2017 TAHS Publication