Shu-Hai Chao

Zhao Shuhai, born November 16, 1951, in Taipei City, Taiwan, began his early life serving in the military in Kaohsiung during the formative years of the campus folk-song movement. With his skill on the guitar and his musical sensibility, he wrote his first song, "Longing for You." After his discharge he worked in various occupations, including music composition and running restaurants.

In 1967 Zhao met Wang Menglin through the folk-song scene; they co-wrote the song "Amei Amei," which was sung by Wang Menglin. Zhao and Wang collaborated several times for work and jointly operated a folk-song restaurant called "Xiangsheng" on Zhongshan North Road, but they left the business because of poor management.

In the 1970s Zhao released a solo album on Li Ge Records and became a recording artist. In October 1979 he played Liu Bang in the Taipei stage play "Chu–Han Strife." In 1983 Zhao began transitioning to television hosting with the CTV quiz/variety program "Everyone Come Together," gradually gaining public attention. In September 1984 he became a regular guest on the talk-show segment of the CTV variety program "Flying on the Rainbow," hosted by Feng Feifei.

In 1988 Zhao won the 23rd Golden Bell Award for Best Variety Show Host for his work on "Everyone Come Together." In 1990 he acted in the CTS drama "Jia Jia Fu." On February 23, 1993, he appeared in TTV’s historical drama "Justice Pao" (the Jin Chaoqun version), playing the impostor top scholar Zhou Qin and several other roles. In June 1995 he portrayed Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) in TTV’s wuxia/drama "The Legend of Koxinga," and on July 31, 1996 he played Zhuge Liang in the historical drama "Legends of the Three Kingdoms."

In 1997 Zhao played Yang Qingfeng in the TV series "Everyone Has Fate" and, together with Wang Menglin and Huang Dacheng, formed the vocal trio "MIB," releasing the album Music Is Back. In 1998 he released the album Mother, I Love You. Beyond music and acting, on April 1, 2009 he appeared with his son Zhao Youting in the CTS action drama "Black & White," playing a precinct chief. He has since continued to appear in many TV dramas and films, including Fairy Tale Under the Starlight, The First Time, Borrowing Your Love for a While, A World That Steals Money, Rolling Stone Love Stories, and Teacher, Will You Come Back.

In 2017 he launched a stage production of A World That Steals Money and continued to participate in numerous film and television projects. In mainland China he has taken part in variety program recordings, including Shandong TV’s "Tastes You Can Hear" series, which helped start his mainland variety-show work. In 2020 he released a solo music album titled Journey on the Sand.

Family: Zhao is married to Dai Yiyu and they have two sons. The elder son is actor Zhao Youting; the younger son is Zhao Zhongting. From 1998 to 2008 he spent time in Canada to accompany his children as they grew up and was less active in show business during that period.

Zhao Shuhai has received multiple entertainment awards, including Golden Bell Awards in 1986 and 1988. His career spans singing, film and television acting, and hosting, marking him as a multi-faceted figure in the Taiwanese entertainment industry. In 2023 he participated in a public-service advertisement addressing issues related to aging.