Tseng Wen-hui

Zeng Wenhui, born in 1923, is the wife of Taiwan's renowned politician Lee Teng-hui. Her family came from a landlord family in the Sanzhi area, owning extensive land in the Tamsui, Sanzhi, and other parts of Tamsui Prefecture, with a prosperous economic status. The Zeng family earned substantial income annually from land leases, and her childhood living conditions were comfortable.

Zeng Wenhui attended Taipei Women's Academy, which was the highest educational institution for Taiwanese women before the war, focusing on cultivating women's life skills. Her Japanese name was Fumiko, and her childhood nickname was Kotobuki. She was fairly fluent in Japanese but had limited Mandarin skills. She has stated that her early education primarily aimed to prepare her to be a good wife, learning cooking, flower arranging, sewing, and child-rearing.

She was engaged to her hometown friend, Danzai native Lee Teng-hui, and they married on February 9, 1949. At that time, Lee Teng-hui was an assistant professor at National Taiwan University and had a modest income. Their married life was very difficult; the couple once lived in a simple small house on Gui Sui Street in Taipei. To support the family, Zeng Wenhui made money by flower arranging and sold gold jewelry from her family to supplement the household income.

The couple had three children: their eldest son, Hsian-wen Lee (born 1950, died in 1982 of nasopharyngeal carcinoma), eldest daughter, Jin-e Lee (later renamed Anna Lee, born 1952, who served as an associate professor at Tunghai University and is currently an assistant researcher at Academia Sinica), and second daughter, An-ni Lee (born 1956, graduated from the Department of Sociology at National Taiwan University). The spouses of the Lee children included prominent figures such as Huang Chun-wu and Lai Kuo-chou.

Lee Teng-hui achieved significant academic and political success, receiving scholarships from the Rockefeller Agricultural Economics Association and Cornell University, publishing numerous academic papers, and gaining international recognition. Throughout this time, Zeng Wenhui consistently supported her husband behind the scenes, accompanying him as he built his political career.

As Lee Teng-hui advanced in his political career, he became an important figure in Taiwan, ultimately serving as the President of the Republic of China in 1996. In the family, Zeng Wenhui played a traditional supportive role, emphasizing backing her husband's endeavors, maintaining humility, and upholding traditional family responsibilities. She faced criticism from outside sources multiple times, responding actively and focusing on family stability and harmony.

Zeng Wenhui was also involved in political disputes, including civil lawsuits related to some legal cases following the 2000 presidential election. She accused her opponents of defamation but ultimately received judicial support. Her life reflects the role of a wife supporting her husband's political and family pursuits, always adhering to traditional values and making efforts for her family.