World-famous vocalist Chien Wen-hsiu was born with a good voice and more lung capacity than most men. Whether she is singing art songs, folk songs, pop songs or even Taiwanese opera, she delivers clear, rhythmic, and sonorous performances. In particular, it's her sincere and amiable stage presence that makes her performance style so unique. In recent years she has been very involved in using her voice-that gift from God-to help charities raise funds for promoting preventive medicine and helping the downtrodden.

Chien Wen-hsiu hails from Luotung in Ilan. Her father Chien Tiao-jung worked in the local government administration office, where he oversaw the affairs of a particular li (neighborhood). The family wasn't wealthy and had produced only one son in three generations. Chien Wen-hsiu, their only daughter, was first in her class throughout her studies. Apart from her studies, she also liked to sing. Her father brought her to his friend Li Teng-hui, a professional singer, for some basic lessons. When she was eight, Chien participated in an Ilan folk song competition sponsored by the Central Broadcasting System, and she earned first place. Many recording companies wanted to sign her to a typical pop singer's contract. But her father had other plans. He wanted her to become a teacher, and so she went to Taipei Teacher's College and became a teacher in accordance with his will. But Chien Wen-hsiu was determined to keep singing. When she was at college, respected vocalist Shen Hsueh-yung took her under her wing and gave her the resolve to pursue a singing career.

In 1989, Chien Hsiu-wen courageously went to the United States to further hone her singing skills. A year later she participated in a Canadian contest for vocalists. Before the competition, she prayed to God, saying that if she finished in the top three in the competition she would make participating in benefit concerts her life's top priority. As it turned out, she won first place. Since then she has been using her voice to help others.

She will never forget Christmas night 1997, when she went into National Taiwan University Hospital and sang for a dying man.

The man was so excited by her visit that he had instructed the members of his family to put on suits and ties. The patient was overjoyed to hear Chien sing. He told her that he had made a lot of money over the course of his life but that he hadn't known how to take care of his own health. He urged her to love life and take care of her health. Teary-eyed, Chien Wen-hsiu held the patient's hand and began to sing, one song after another. The old man slipped away from this world as she sang.

Remembering what that dying man had said, she threw herself into volunteer work for various medical groups, including groups trying to prevent breast cancer, the Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Foundation, and foundations working on behalf of the elderly. Wherever she is, she tries to remind people to pay attention to their health.

For the sake of her singing career, Chien Wen-hsiu has a very simple and regular-almost puritanical-lifestyle. Early in the morning she rises to do stretching exercises and read, and in the afternoon she goes swimming or attends meetings. In the evening, if she has spare time from her performing schedule, she plays some ping-pong because it's economical and convenient. In order to sing well, she can't have greasy food or drink alcohol. For her throat, she makes tea (according to a Chinese medical prescription) brewed with the seed of boat-fruited sterculia.

Although she is essentially Christian, she doesn't reject other religious beliefs. She strongly supports any loving efforts on behalf of society. For instance, she helps plan the Golden Note Awards put on every year by the Hsing Tien Kong Culture and Education Foundation. And she has sung "In Praise of Dharma Drum Mountain" for the Buddhist sect led by Master Sheng Yen.

In August of 1991 Chien was invited to sing at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. She traveled there with Master Hsin Dao, who gave her the Buddhist name "Lotus Blossom Devotee." Four years later she and the violinist Lin Chao-liang were asked to perform together for Hualien's Buddhist Lotus Hospice Care Foundation. One of the songs they were asked to perform was "Lotus Flower," whose lyrics were written by Master Shao Yun of Huafan College.

Chien was the only Chinese person to perform at the inauguration of the elder President Bush. She sang The Lord's Prayer, and they gave her a standing ovation. One American producer of gospel records said, "For more than 20 years, I've heard countless people sing The Lord's Prayer. This was the first time I felt my heart and soul being shaken. I couldn't help but rise out of my seat."

Chien believes that her songs belong to everyone and to all of society. As long as a group needs her, she'll go.

She will continue going to where she is invited. She sincerely hopes that her voice will give others happiness, hope and confidence. That is all she wants out of life.

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Well known singer Chien Wen-hsiu has in recent years thrown herself into charity activities, using her moving voice to alert people's attention to health issues.