In 1934, Lien Chen-tung and Chao Lan-k'un(趙蘭坤) got married in Beijing. She was born into a well-known family in Shenyang and was a graduate of BeijingYanjing University.
On 28 June 1936, his father Lien Heng died of liver cancer in Shanghai at age 58, while Lien was 32 years old.[3][4] On 27 August, his wife Chao gave birth to Lien Chan in Xi'an.
In January 1946, Lien was the acting Taipei County Magistrate and director of the Construction Bureau.[1] Lien's focus was the roads and railways in Taiwan, Soon after the war they were repaired and opened to regular access. Local facilities resumed regular operations and factories resumed production.[7]
In February 1946, Lien's wife Chao Lan-k'un brought his 8-year-old son Lien Chan back to Taiwan to reunite with his father.
In November 1947, Lien Chen-tung was elected to the first National Assembly in his hometown Tainan. [8][7]
In 1948, Lien was appointed as a member of the Constitutional Supervision Committee. In 1949, he served as the land director of the Southeast Military and Political Affairs Office and the drafting committee of the Taiwan Provincial-Local Autonomy Program. Lien had contributions to the implementation of local autonomy and land reform. After the National Government moved to Taiwan in 1950, Lien was appointed as a member of the Central Reconstruction Committee.[1] He was the only Taiwanese person among the 16 members. He was also the president of the China Daily. He was later reassigned as the chairman of the board of directors.[9]
In 1953, Lien served as the fifth group director of the Kuomintang Central Party Department and was appointed as a member of the Taiwan Provincial Government and the Director of Construction. One year later, he was transferred to the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the Taiwan Provincial Government, where he actively promoted local self-government. He also served as the Secretary-General of the Taiwan Provincial Government. In 1955, the government held the first census of Taiwan Province, and Lien was also the Deputy Director of the Census Department.[1]
In 1958, Lien Chen-tung was elected to the supervisor of the Provincial Police People's Association.[10]
On 25 March 1960, Lien was appointed as the Deputy Secretary-General of the Kuomintang and as a result, resigned as a member of the Taiwan Provincial Government and Minister of Civil Affairs. In May, due to the reformation of the Executive Yuan, he served as the new Minister of the Interior of the Executive Yuan.[1] His main contributions were the establishment of the military service system and the implementation of local election government policy.
Lien's family lived in Ningnan Square of Tainan. During the Japanese occupation, the property of Lien's family was confiscated by the Japanese because they supported the Liu Yong-fuBlack Flag Army. After Taiwan’s recovery, Lien's family moved to Taipei, so his wife Chao Lan-k'un sold all their remaining property left in Miaoli. She used the money to invest in real estate, construction, and finance. By holding their investments for a long duration, coinciding with the economic takeoff in Asia after World War 2, the Lien family gained wealth after decades.
Lien's father is Lien Heng,[3]he had three sisters, Lin Wenyue was the daughter of his eldest sister. His wife was Chao Lan-k'un.
On 23 December 1986, President Chiang Ching-kuo issued Presidential Decree No. 548 to commemorate Lien Chen-tung. The contents are as follows:
Presidential Decree No. 548
Lien Chen-tung was a representative of the National Assembly and the Senior Advisor to the Office of the President. He inherited his family custom to serve the country. He profoundly understood the nation's interests and had entirely devoted himself to the motherland after graduating to protect the country from foreign countries' attacks. After the Second Sino-Japanese War, while Taiwan was recovering, Lien was elected as a member of the Constitution Committee and the representative of the First National Assembly. Lien served respectively as the First Taipei County Magistrate, the Secretary-General of the Taiwan Provincial Council, the Director of the Construction Department of the Taiwan Provincial Government, the Director of Civil Affairs, and the Minister of the Interior. Lien had great contributions to land reform, the development of the economy, and the establishment of the Military Service. Especially in the aspect of local self-government, his contribution was evident and profound. Since upholding the role as Senior Advisor to the Office of the President, he had made outstanding contributions to the country. He was public-spirited, which had been long praised by the public. We deeply mourn for his passing and feel that a citation should be given to praise his loyalty and contributions to the country.