In Japan he is know as "Ohmi Shonin" the sage; in Taiwan's Ilan County he is seen as "Father's Light." A string of activities such as going to Japan for ceremonies, sightseeing, and receiving honors and praise from his province, county and village are all the first such events in the life of this 72-year-old Ilan "rustic." His story begins in April this year.

Family feelings that moved Japan: Chang Ching-cheng has five sons and three daughters. His youngest son, Chang Ching-hsien, is at present reading business studies at Japan's Waseda University.

This April, Chang Ching-hsien took part in an essay competition held by the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shinbun and won a prize of 500,000 yen. In his excitement he thought of how his Japanese-educated parents had always been curious about Japan and immediately phoned back to Taiwan to invite them over for a visit. He never thought that when his mother answered the phone she would say he ought to use the prize-money to pay for his study and living expenses rather than letting two old people "fritter it away." She made the excuse that they had colds and were not healthy enough, so they could not go.

When Chang Cheng-hsien was asked by reporters what he was going to do with the prize money, he told them about the unresolved issue of inviting his parents to Japan. The story was revealed by Sankei Shinbun, and the readers were very moved, comparing the story to that of Japan's model of filial piety, Ohmi Shonin.

The story goes that there was once a scholar in Edo Japan who, on hearing that his mother was sick, hurriedly bought medicine and traveled more than three hours through the snow to give it to her at home. He had not foreseen that, on arrival, his mother would refuse to open the door, it having been her wish that he should concentrate on his studies and worry about nothing else. This story of motherly love and a son's devotion became a popular legend in Japan.

Japan's young people today are concerned more with entertainment and spending most of their earnings on dancing, drinking and entertainment; someone like Chang Ching-hsien, depending on a grant to study but still thinking of his parents first when he won an unexpected prize, is a thing not often seen. In the eyes of the Japanese, this was much like the rare and precious Ohmi Shonin.

A toiling foot-soldier: Once the news had hit the papers, readers of Sankei Shinbun donated 271,000 yen for Chang Ching-cheng and his wife to come to Japan and fulfill Chang Ching-hsien's desire. Chang Ching-cheng and his wife could hardly refuse. At the end of May, the elderly couple went to Japan and returned 300,000 yen of Japanese donations to Japan, where it was passed on by Sankei Shinbun to a foundation for children with heart disease.

Chang Ching-cheng, expressing how moved he was by the Japanese donations, said he could not accept them: "Although I do not have a lot of money, I am not poor. If I took this money to play with, my heart would not be at peace."

Chang Ching-cheng had never foreseen that what came as natural to him would be so highly praised and eulogized by the Japanese. Furthermore, he never thought the day would come when he could so successfully represent his country abroad.

When the news got back to Taiwan, the people of Chang Ching-cheng'shometown praised his success in educating his son and put forward his name as this year's "Model Father" of Taiwan Province. He did not disappoint the hopes of his fellow townsmen and was chosen.

The day after he had received the praises of Provincial Chairman Lien Chan, the people of Ilan welcomed Chang Ching-cheng back to Wuchie with a traditional gong and drum procession. Wearing a new suit and festooned with red ribbons, Chang Ching-cheng stood happily smiling with his wife, surrounded by flowers, on a small van draped with red paper. As he chose a road to alight in and do some well-wishing, people who did not know the reason behind it all might well have mistaken him for a political candidate out canvassing for votes! The difference was that Chang Ching-cheng is not a gifted speaker and is rather reserved with his words. That evening at a temple banquet for friends and relatives, everyone excitedly spoke their piece, but only Chang smiled quietly to himself throughout. Asked about the gong and drum procession, his feelings were, "It's rather a bother," but kind sentiments are hard to refuse.

What kind of achievements or good educational methods do you need to have to become a model father? The answer is: none.

Children are the only "achievement": The fourth son, Chang Ching-lan, says that when his father's name was put forward as Model Father, the organizers wanted him to write an article on a father's "Greatest Achievements." After much thought, it was realized that all his father had done was to be a temple member. Apart from that, he had no "achievements."

"In hardship since childhood, for Father to raise a family was not easy. How could he have the spare time and money to do good deeds for others, let alone talk of any achievements," says Chang Ching-lan. His father's life might have been tough, but he did not let his children lack anything in their education due to poverty. In that time of material shortages, Chang Ching-cheng was certainly what might be called a "luckless" person. Born in 1922, he inherited the family debts at the age of 14 when his father died. So as to make the repayments as early as possible, he went to Hualien to pan for gold. After three years he had not only repaid the debts but also had some savings built up.

At the age of 18, Chang Ching-cheng returned to Ilan to study a three-year carpentry apprenceship. After his training he was introduced to Wang Ah-hsiu, whom he married, never thinking that the next year he would be conscripted into the Japanese Imperial Army for more than three years of service in Indonesia.

Biting ginger with salt to raise the children: When Chang Ching-cheng returned to Taiwan his children were born in a steady stream and his burdens became increasingly heavy. Every day he would leave in the morning to do his carpentry and return in the evening, at times working at night. "There are 30 days in each month, and I worked 35," he recalls with a smile.

So as to supplement what they had for the family, Wang Ah-hsiu would take the children to work the fields and raise pigs. "We ploughed some waste land by the sea to grow peanuts, a very big piece. On days off we would go and pick them," says Chang Ching-hsien.

In the early autumn they would take advantage of the abundant rainwater that followed the typhoons to plant sweet potatoes. Chang Ching-lan says the children's' summer and winter holidays were all spent in the peanut field and potato patch.

The days were tough, but Chang Ching-cheng and his wife certainly did not sacrifice the educational opportunities of their children. "When it was time for graduation from elementary school, I cried for three days and three nights because I could not continue studying," says Wang Ah-hsiu. "My husband and I went through extra hardships, 'biting ginger with salt,' and even borrowing money so as to allow our children to study."

Their eldest daughter, Chang Pi-yun, has the deepest understanding of her parents' suffering. When she graduated from junior-middle school, most girls had to find factory work to supplement their family's income. From her humble and honest home, she was finally the first girl in her village to go on to study business at high school. Today, Chang pi-yun has already become the general director of an international floral company.

It is said that a poor family produces filial children; looking at the toil of their parents, the Chang children are certainly all full of filial piety. In appreciation of the cultivation provided by their parents and prizing their hard-to-come-by opportunities to seek study, they have all worked very hard.

Themselves always last: Apart from this, the altruistic personalities of Chang Ching-cheng and his wife have also been passed on in the training of their children, for which they are always respected and loved in their adult life.

"One year we had not picked the guava on the tree by our house, leaving them to yellow and soften so that we could give them to Grandma to eat," says Chang Ching-hsieh. Day after day he would watch with a watering mouth as the fruit gradually changed color. He did not think that one day the boss who came to buy their peanuts would arrive and say: "Your guavas have all turned yellow, why don't you eat them?" To this, his mother replied, "Do you like them? If you like them then take them and eat them!" Thus the guavas disappeared and Chang Ching-hsieh sobbed bitterly.

As a child, Chang Ching-hsieh could not fathom his mother's problems, but today he has a deep understanding of her kind heart and the sacrifices she had to make under the pressures of her life.

In fact, the Chang children can all see how valuable has been this kind of home for them. Now the elder brothers subsidize the younger to study overseas; it is very difficult for the youngest to save any spare cash, but he always finds enough to buy presents for his nieces and nephews. To unexpectedly come into money while studying, his first thought. was naturally of his parents--who always put themselves last.

Happy days after hardship: Chang Ching-cheng is of a reserved nature. Working from morning to evening, his children are closer to his wife, although their personalities and development have received the deep impression of their father. Accustomed to looking at his carpentry designs, the children all have a degree of artistic ability. Today the second and third sons are interior designers, and the fourth holds an M.A. in fine arts in the United States, is engaged in design work and planning to become a professional painter. The eldest son has also shown great merit, winning a "model civilservant prize," and the youngest, Chang Ching-hsieh, is reading business management at Waseda University in Japan.

With the children grown up and all showing great promise, Chang Ching-cheng proudly retired.

With his burdens somewhat lighter, days of leisure at last arrived. Chang Ching-cheng's only regret is that the water meadow with the bamboo grove at the back which he created with his own hands, and the old wooden house, have been taken over and demolished for industrial use.

Now Chang Ching-cheng lives in a two-storied modern house which he also built himself with his wife and sons. However, in the eyes of Wang Ahhsiu, it has the appearance of a "hostel" and lacks any feeling of intimacy. It is not so comfortable to live in as the old house in which they saw their children grow up. The old couple have tough constitutions, live not far from the sea, and have a small vegetable patch next to their house. With three meals a day they can be "self-sufficient."

A day in the life of a countryman: Chang Ching-cheng rises at three or four in the morning, has a glass of milk, eats some biscuits, arranges his tackle and rides his motorcycle to the sea to do some fishing. He returns home at 10 o'clock. His wife has already come back from exercising at the temple and is tidying up the garden, taking care of the fruit and vegetables, piling up the earth round the potatoes and weeding out the overgrown melon leaves....

After a bowl of rice gruel and a brief rest, Chang Ching-cheng busily looks over the fruits of the day--cleaning the fish he has caught so that his wife can put them in the pot. If they cannot eat it all themselves, they give some to the neighbors. when he has time, Chang Ching-cheng discusses the fishing conditions with his fisher friends, while Wang An-hsiu busily presses dried turnips, crispy melons and soya curd to give to their children in the city. You could call this passing of the days leisurely, but it is a leisure that is certainly very busy.

Chang Ching-cheng's days of retirement are in fact close to what people are praising as the "simple life." However, no matter what the fashion might be, and no matter about the great reputation of "Ohmi Shonin" or "Model Father," when all the festivities have died down, he will go back to passing the agreeable days of an Ilan "rustic."

[Picture Caption]

While the Japan trip combined sightseeing and making donations it was also an un expected opportunity for Chang Ching-cheng and his wife to represent their country. (photo courtesy of Chang Ching-cheng)

The Japanese newspaper Sankei Shinbun sent someone to deliver a letter to the Chang family in Ilan as an expression of their deepest gratitude.

Being a Model Father is quite an achievement. The townspeople greet Chang Ching-cheng with a motor procession to the sound of percussion and fireworks. Children who do not know what is going on put their hands together to pray.

On his way home Chang Ching-cheng gets off a truck at the temple to thank the gods for the fortune they have given him.

Husband and wife go fishing; as far as they are concerned this is not what City-dwellers call "leisure" but is all quite normal.

While the Japan trip combined sightseeing and making donations it was also an un expected opportunity for Chang Ching-cheng and his wife to represent their country. （photo courtesy of Chang Ching-cheng）

The Japanese newspaper Sankei Shinbun sent someone to deliver a letter to the Chang family in Ilan as an expression of their deepest gratitude.

Being a Model Father is quite an achievement. The townspeople greet Chang Ching-cheng with a motor procession to the sound of percussion and fireworks. Children who do not know what is going on put their hands together to pray.

On his way home Chang Ching-cheng gets off a truck at the temple to thank the gods for the fortune they have given him.

Husband and wife go fishing; as far as they are concerned this is not what City-dwellers call "leisure" but is all quite normal.