Unboxing Old Photos: The Mother of Taiwanese Karate, "Mermaid" Chen Hui-chu

Central News Agency

(CNA website) Chen Hui-chu, the popular film star "Mermaid" of the 1950s and 1960s, was once a provincial swimming queen and a dancer who studied in Japan. After marriage, she assisted her Japanese husband, Tetsuhiko Asai, in introducing karate to Taiwan and was thus honored as the "Mother of Taiwanese Karate."

Chen Hui-chu was born in Taichung during the Japanese colonial period. She began learning dance at the age of three or four, but she truly entered the public eye at the Taiwan Provincial Games' swimming pool. As a student at Taichung Girls' Senior High School, she won five gold medals in the backstroke competition at the Provincial Games with her outstanding swimming skills, earning her the titles "Flower of the Provincial Games" and "Mermaid."

With her striking appearance and talent in both swimming and dancing, she was quickly scouted to appear in films and received the opportunity to study at Toho Film Company's performing arts school in Japan. During this time, she not only refined her dance and acting skills but also participated in several Taiwanese and Japanese film productions, including the famous Japanese actress Li Xianglan's (Japanese name Yamaguchi Yoshiko) retirement film "Tokyo Holiday." Later, she was hired as a basic actress for Central Motion Picture Corporation, becoming the first native Taiwanese actress at the company at that time.

At the peak of her acting career, Chen Hui-chu chose to marry the renowned Japanese karate master Tetsuhiko Asai and retired from acting. She assisted her husband in promoting karate worldwide, choosing her hometown Taichung as the first stop.

Although the couple later traveled to Hawaii, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and other places to promote karate, and eventually settled back in Japan, they maintained contact with the Taiwanese karate community. Tetsuhiko Asai's students from over 60 years ago have also spread throughout Taiwan, with their lineage passed down through generations.

To see more photos of Chen Hui-chu, visit the CNA Image Space immediately. 1150429

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