Teng Yu-hsien facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Teng Yu-hsien
Teng Yu-hsien, taken by the photo studio of Luo Fang-mei (羅訪梅).
Born	July 21, 1906 Ryūtan, Tōshien Chō (modern-day Longtan, Taoyuan), Japanese-ruled Taiwan
Died	June 11, 1944 (1944-06-12) (aged 37) Kyūrin Village, Chikutō District, Shinchiku Prefecture (modern-day Qionglin, Hsinchu), Japanese-ruled Taiwan
Nationality	Taiwanese
Other names	Karasaki Yosame Higashida Gyōu
Occupation	Musician
Teng Yu-hsien Traditional Chinese 鄧雨賢 Transcriptions Hakka Romanization Then Yí-hièn Southern Min Hokkien POJ Tēng Ú-hiân

Teng Yu-hsien (Chinese: 鄧雨賢; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tēng Ú-hiân, Hakka: Then Yí-hièn; July 21, 1906 – June 11, 1944) was a famous Taiwanese Hakka musician. He is known for writing many popular Hokkien songs. People often call him the "Father of Taiwanese Folk Songs." Teng also used Japanese pen-names like Karasaki Yau and Higashida Gyōu.

The Life of Teng Yu-hsien

Teng Yu-hsien was born in a place called Ryūtan in Japanese-ruled Taiwan. This area is now known as Longtan in Taoyuan City. When he was three, his family moved to Daitotei, which is now called Twatutia.

Early Life and Education

In 1914, Teng started at Bangka Public School. He finished there in 1920 and then went to Taihoku Normal School. This school is now the National Taipei University of Education.

After graduating in 1925, Teng became a teacher at Nishin Public School. In 1926, he married Chung You-mei. Soon after, he left his teaching job to study music in Japan. He went to the Tokyo Music Academy to learn about composing music.

Musical Career and Famous Songs

Teng came back to Taiwan in 1930. In 1932, a record company asked him to write a song called March of the Daitotei. This was a Japanese popular song that was thought to be lost for many years. A collector found it again in 2007.

Later, Teng became interested in Columbia Records, an early music company in Taiwan. A songwriter named Tan Kun-giok invited him to join. In 1933, Teng wrote several very famous Hokkien songs. These include Bang Chhun Hong (Desire to the Spring Breeze) and Goat Ia Chhiu.

In 1934, he created another important song, U Ia Hoe (Rainy Night Flower). This song tells the sad story of a fictional woman. Between 1934 and 1937, Teng composed many more songs. Some of these were Moa Bin Chhun Hong and Su Kui Hong (Song of Four Seasons).

Challenges During Wartime

In 1937, World War II began. The Japanese government started to promote Japanese culture more strongly. This meant they tried to stop the growth of Taiwanese Hokkien songs. Many of Teng's songs were banned. Some were even rewritten into the Japanese language.

As the Pacific War got worse in 1939, Teng left his job. He moved with his family to Kyūrin Village. He then became a teacher at Kyūrin Public School. His health started to get worse around this time. Even so, he still wrote some Japanese songs.

Teng Yu-hsien passed away on June 11, 1944. He died from lung and heart problems.

Legacy and Recognition

Teng Yu-hsien's music is still loved today. In 2006, two Taiwanese astronomers discovered an asteroid. They named it 255989 Dengyushian in his honor. This shows how important he was to Taiwanese culture.

Notable Compositions

Teng Yu-hsien wrote many songs during his career. Here are some of his well-known works: