Ma Li-chun

Mary Li-Jun was born in 1952 in Taipei City. Her father is Ma Heling; her mother's details are not mentioned. She is the youngest child in the family, with one older brother and two younger sisters. One sister was later renamed Ma Bingru, another named Ma Zidong, and the other two girls are named Ma Yinan and Ma Naixi. The family has a total of four sisters and one older brother, Ma Ying-jeou. During her childhood, Mary Li-Jun was loved by her grandmother and parents, which sparked jealousy from her older brother. There were conflicts and playful fights among the siblings.

Academically, Ma Li-Jun completed her secondary education and met her boyfriend, Yu Ke, during high school. Yu Ke is the son of a military colonel. Although her father, Ma Heling, was opposed to their relationship, believing Yu Ke’s family background was poor, Ma Li-Jun insisted on her choice. With her older sister’s help, she went to the United States. After two years of studying and living there, Yu Ke retired from the military and also moved to the U.S. to work in software development, becoming an engineer in the development department at Wang An Computer Company. Later, the two reunited in the U.S. and married. Ma Li-Jun subsequently settled in the U.S., supporting her brother Ma Ying-jeou in developing his overseas fan base.

During his childhood, Ma Ying-jeou experienced some amusing incidents. For example, once when he was hungry, he and his sister Ma Li-Jun cooked noodles. To test if they were sufficiently cooked, they used the wall as a test surface, which resulted in noodles and fragments sticking to the wall. Despite such childhood anecdotes, as they grew older, their relationship became increasingly close.

Beyond family life, Ma Li-Jun also held some influence within her brother’s political and social circles. In 1964, she brought a female classmate home to make dumplings. Ten years later, when Ma Ying-jeou went to the U.S. to pursue a law degree, Ma Li-Jun suggested he establish contact with his classmate Zhou Meiqing. During his first stay in the U.S., Ma Ying-jeou met Zhou Meiqing for the first time and was deeply impressed by her, which eventually led to their marriage. From then on, Ma Li-Jun played an important role not only as a family member but also in her brother’s social life.