Taiwan Roots

I was born in Taipei, Taiwan. My father's family is from Hsinchu — a beach town where the soil is rich with red iron. As a child, my fondest memory was visiting my grandparents' grave site, hiking through red sand and sandstone. When we arrived, we sang hymns together and talked about how great God is in our lives.

My family are great singers. Almost everyone sang at church. My mother and father met in a choir and sang together on a radio program to make money while my father went to medical school in Taiwan.

I began writing songs and singing at 13. At 15, I won a national competition with three of my teenage friends. They went on to become famous singer-songwriters in Taiwan. I came to the USA at 18 after finishing high school.

I did not speak much English. I stayed with one of my father's good friends in Irvine, California. I enrolled at Christ College — now Concordia University Irvine — and transferred to UC Irvine in my third year. UCI had a nickname among students: the University of Chinese Immigrants. I made many friends from Taiwan who spoke Chinese, and found my footing in a new country.

With great tenacity and divine intervention, I graduated from UCLA School of Medicine and returned to Irvine to open my practice immediately after residency.

In 2008, my father had his first stroke. On the way home to Taiwan, I had a deep spiritual encounter with God. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, I began writing Chinese gospel music. Over the years I published nine original Chinese gospel albums and toured Taiwan twice a year from 2009 to 2019, until the pandemic. Each tour included up to 25 locations — prisons, schools, hospitals, churches, and even train stations. I love to speak about how human illness can be a time to experience miracles and deepen one's faith.

My mother still lives in Taiwan. My tie with Taiwan's churches continues through yearly speaking and singing engagements. It is a country I love deeply — its humble, friendly culture has always balanced my free-spirited, thriving life in the USA.

And when I hike through the red sandstone of Red Rock Canyon here in Las Vegas, I feel my father's family. I feel Hsinchu. I feel home. I hope to meet you at Red Rock Canyon for a hike and an intimate conversation at lunch afterwards — to learn about your roots and how they impact your health.