Author: Lin Jiahui 林家慧
My grandpa, Mr. Lin Bu-Zhi, was born four years before the founding of the Republic of China. He was an elder who received a Japanese education. Not only was he fluent in Japanese, he was also a learned, gentle, and deeply curious person who loved learning. From a young age, I often spent time with him. In my heart, he was not only my grandpa, but also like a teacher. He always reminded us, “Reading is the best thing in the world. Knowledge gives people strength and vision.” This sentence has profoundly influenced me. Although Grandpa grew up in an era that favoured sons over daughters, he was very open-minded about education. He believed that regardless of gender, one should continue learning endlessly and pursue lifelong learning.
Grandpa said that our family originally came from Quanzhou on the mainland and later settled in Sanxia District, New Taipei City. Our family still keeps the ancestral house in Sanxia, which carries the history and memories of our family. Grandpa was diligent and eager to learn throughout his life. He enjoyed listening to Beiguan music, playing the flute, singing Japanese songs, practicing calligraphy, and brewing tea. His interests were remarkably broad. His love for tea, in particular, was almost woven into his life. When he was young, he ran a tea plantation in Sanxia and even participated in local tea-making competitions, where he won awards of excellence. I remember following Grandpa up the tea mountains as a child to pick tea leaves and watch him roast tea. Seeing the care with which he controlled the heat and aroma, and the concentration and confidence on his face, left a deep impression on me. It was also because of him that I developed a fondness for drinking tea.
Besides tea-making, Grandpa also studied the art of name analysis. Almost all the grandchildren in our family had their names personally chosen by him. Even when my own child was born, Grandpa, already one hundred years old, still named him. He smiled and said, “Choosing a good name is very important. It follows you for your entire life.” Thinking about the fact that a great-grandfather and his great-grandchild were separated by a full one hundred years feels like a miraculous and precious bond in life.
Grandpa’s mental and physical strength were truly astonishing. I remember that when he was ninety years old, he travelled with me on a long-haul flight to Canada, first to Vancouver, then transferring to Montreal, to visit relatives. During that trip, all of us younger people were exhausted by jet lag, yet Grandpa remained energetic and chatted cheerfully with everyone. Along the way, he observed new things with curiosity, like a scholar who would never grow old. Friends there were amazed by his robust health and powerful voice. Grandpa was very proud and often said, “People must keep moving and keep learning, only then will the heart not grow old.”
Back in Taiwan, Grandpa continued to live independently. Even in his nineties, he could still take the bus by himself to buy groceries, chat with neighbours and friends, and participate in community activities. His daily life was simple yet fulfilling, displaying a vitality that did not match his age. Perhaps it was precisely this optimism and self-discipline that allowed him to remain healthy and live such a long life.
When Grandpa was one hundred and six years old, the media once interviewed him regarding his battle with macular degeneration. The headline read, “Defeating Macular Degeneration: The Centenarian Preserves His ‘Bright Vision.’” Through this news report, I came to understand even more deeply how much Grandpa valued health and daily self-care. He ate lightly, maintained a regular routine, and kept an optimistic mindset. These seemingly ordinary habits were in fact the secrets to his longevity.
In the following years, Grandpa became a role model in the local community. When he was one hundred and seven years old, then-President Ma Ying-jeou personally visited the ancestral home in Sanxia, took photos with Grandpa, and praised his optimism, diligence, and love for life. That day, relatives and friends gathered to celebrate together. Grandpa wore a warm smile, as if telling us, “The most important things in life are one’s mindset and learning.” On his one hundred and tenth birthday, current President Tsai Ing-wen also personally came to celebrate with him, making the entire family and neighbourhood feel immensely proud of this elder.
When Grandpa was still alive, he loved sharing his tea-making experiences, stories from his youth, and the wisdom he gained from life. His memory was astonishing. He could vividly recount his journey from the mainland to Taiwan, and the transformation from hardship to a stable life. His stories were filled with the marks of their times, as well as resilience and wisdom. What moved me most was that despite having lived through so many years of storms, he always maintained a thirst for knowledge and an optimistic attitude. He once said, “Learning is not for others, but to make one’s own life more valuable.”
Looking back now, having such a grandpa was truly a blessing. His life was like a history book filled with wisdom and warmth, bringing us endless inspiration. Through organizing and reflecting on Grandpa’s life, I have come to understand more deeply the meanings of “education,” “family values,” and “heritage.” Grandpa was not only an elder in our family, but also a role model who led by example. He used his entire life to teach us that loving learning, loving life, and cherishing time are what make a life truly radiant.
To me, Grandpa’s story is not just a memory, but a source of strength. Whenever I face difficulties or setbacks, I think of his words “learning has no end,” and recall the image of him bravely traveling abroad at ninety, naming his great-grandchild at one hundred, and still chatting cheerfully well past a hundred. Grandpa proved through his life that the value of life lies not in how long one lives, but in whether one continues to grow and continues to love. Related news links:
https://www.healthnews.com.tw/article/5347/ (Health News article on macular degeneration)
https://www.president.gov.tw/NEWS/19840 (Presidential visit at age 107, photographed at the Sanxia ancestral home)
https://www.president.gov.tw/NEWS/20749?SearchBy= (Presidential visit at age 110, photographed in Sanxia)
A great-grandfather and great-grandchild separated by exactly one hundred years
我的爺爺林不直先生，生於民國前四年，是一位受過日本教育的長者。他不僅日語流利，更
是一位學識豐富、氣度溫和、熱愛學習的人。從小我就常與爺爺相處，他在我心中不僅是爺
爺，更像是一位老師。他總是叮嚀我們：「讀書是世界上最好的事情，知識會帶給人力量與眼
界。」這句話一直深深影響著我。雖然爺爺成長於那個「重男輕女」的時代背景，但他對於
教育卻十分開明，認為無論男女，都應該學無止境、終身學習。
爺爺說當時家人是從大陸泉州，早年來到台灣後定居於新北市三峽區。我們家在三峽仍保留
著祖厝，那裡承載著我們家族的歷史與記憶。爺爺一生勤奮好學，他喜歡聽北管、吹笛子、
唱日本歌、寫書法、泡茶，興趣之廣。特別是對於茶的熱愛，幾乎融入他的人生。年輕時他
在三峽經營茶園，也曾參加當地的製茶比賽，並獲得優等獎項。記得小時候，我曾跟著爺爺
上茶山採茶、看他烘茶，看著他細心掌握火候與香氣，臉上那份專注與自信，讓我印象至今
深刻，因此我也養成了愛喝茶的喜好。
除了製茶之外，爺爺對姓名學也有研究。家族裡的孫輩名字幾乎都是他親自命名的，連我的
孩子出生時，爺爺已高齡一百歲，仍然替他取名。他笑著說：「名字取的好是非常重要的，跟
著你一輩子的。」想到曾祖父與玄孫相差整整一百歲，真是生命中一段奇妙而珍貴的緣分。
爺爺的精神與體力都非常驚人。記得在他九十歲那年，他還和我一起搭長途飛機到加拿大，
先飛溫哥華再轉機到蒙特婁，探望親人。那次旅程中，我們年輕人都因時差疲憊不堪，唯獨
爺爺精神奕奕，還與人談笑風生。一路上他總是滿懷好奇地觀察新事物，彷彿一個永遠不會
老去的學者。當地的朋友見到他，無不驚訝於他硬朗的身體與充沛的中氣。爺爺也因此感到
非常自豪，總說：「人要動、要學，這樣心就不會老。」
在台灣時，爺爺仍維持自理生活。即使到了九十多歲，他依然能自己搭公車買菜，常與鄰里
好友聊天、參與社區活動。他的生活節奏簡單卻充實，展現出一種與年齡不符的生命力。或
許正是這樣的開朗與自律，使他能一直保持健康長壽。
在爺爺一百零六歲那年，媒體曾經採訪他關於眼睛黃斑部病變的報導，標題寫著〈擊退黃斑
部病變，人瑞保住「睛〉采〉。透過這篇新聞，我才更深刻地了解到，爺爺對於養生與生活調
理的重視。他飲食清淡、作息規律，心境樂觀，這些看似平凡的小事，卻是他長壽的秘訣。
接下來的幾年，爺爺更成為地方上的典範人物。當他一百零七歲時，時任總統馬英九特地前
來三峽的主厝拜訪，與爺爺合影留念，並讚揚他樂觀、勤學、熱愛生活的精神。那天親友們
齊聚一堂慶祝，爺爺臉上露出溫暖的笑容，彷彿在告訴我們：「人生最重要的，是心境與學
習。」到了他一百一十歲生日，現任總統蔡英文也親自前來祝壽，整個親友鄰居都為這位長
者感到驕傲。
爺爺在世時，總愛與大家分享他製茶的經驗、他年輕時的見聞與生活智慧。他的記憶力驚
人，能細細講述從大陸到台灣的經歷、從艱苦奮鬥到安定生活的轉變。他的故事裡充滿時代
的痕跡，也蘊含著堅韌與智慧。最讓我感動的是，儘管經歷那麼多歲月的風雨，他始終保持
一顆求知的心與樂觀的態度。他說：「學習不是為了別人，而是讓自己活得更有價值。」
如今回想起來，能有這樣一位爺爺，是我的福氣。他的一生像一部充滿智慧與溫度的歷史
書，帶給我們無數啟發。透過這次整理關於爺爺的資料，我更深刻地理解「教育」、「家風」
與「傳承」的意義。爺爺不只是我們家族的長輩，更是一位以身作則的典範。他用一生告訴
我們：熱愛學習、熱愛生活、珍惜時間，這樣的人生才會充滿光彩。
對我而言，爺爺的故事不只是回憶，更是一份力量。當我面對困難或挫折時，總會想起他那
句「學無止境」，想起他九十歲仍勇於出國、百歲仍替曾孫取名、百餘歲仍談笑風生的模樣。
爺爺用他的一生證明了：生命的價值，不在於年齡的長短，而在於是否持續成長、持續熱
愛。
相關新聞的連結分享：
1) https://www.healthnews.com.tw/article/5347/（眼睛黃斑部病變）
2) https://www.president.gov.tw/NEWS/19840 (107 歲生日、拍攝於三峽祖厝）
3) https://www.president.gov.tw/NEWS/20749?SearchBy=(110 歲生日、拍攝於三峽)
4) 曾祖父與玄孫相差整整一百歲