Liao Tianding

Liao Tianding (Chinese: 廖添丁; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Liāu Thiam-teng; Hepburn: Ryō Tentei; 1883–1909) was a legendary Taiwanese Robin Hood figure who foiled oppressive rulers when Taiwan was under Japanese rule.

Statue of Liao Tianding adjacent to Hanmin Temple

He was born in the Upper Tōa-to͘ District (大肚上堡) in Changhua, Taiwan Prefecture (Qing-dynasty Taiwan; modern-day Qingshui, Taichung, Taiwan) in 1883, and caught the attention of Japanese authorities repeatedly, for larceny and robbery, as well as the murder of Chen Liang-chiu (陳良久). Liao died in 1909, trapped in a cave in present-day Bali District, New Taipei City, with an accomplice, Yang Lin, who had colluded with the police.[1][2]

Liao Tianding was the subject of an extremely popular modern dance composition by Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan.[3] He was also the inspiration for Ma Shui-Lung's Liao Tianding Orchestral Suite, which has been recorded by the Prague Symphony Orchestra.[4][5] Hanmin Temple in Bali was constructed to memorialize Liao and is usually referred to as Liao Tianding Temple.[1][6] Liao is also venerated at Miaosheng Temple (妙聖宮) in his hometown of Qingshui. (A statue of Liao once served as a menshen (threshold guardian) at Wutianchan Shrine (無天禪寺) in New Taipei City’s Xindian District opposite Lee Shih-ke, a modern historical robber and murderer who is now revered by some as a folk hero in Taiwan.[7])

An arrest warrant for Liao Tianding

Films
  • 1956 - Liao Tiending 廖添丁
  • 1962 - Youxia Hu Chienming 遊俠胡劍明. The script was based on Liao Tiending, but it was banned from broadcast unless the name is changed.
  • 1979 - Legendary Liao Tiending 傳奇人物廖添丁
  • 1987 - Taiwanese Hero Liao Tiending 台灣英雄廖添丁. Played by Ling Yun.
  • 1988 - Taiwan Hyoukyoku 台灣鏢局. The sequel to Taiwanese Hero Liao Tiending.
  • 1998 - Chivalrous Legend 俠盜正傳. Played by Jimmy Lin and Ashton Chen.

Television
  • 1988 - Chinese Folk Tales 中國民間故事
  • 1991 - Legend of Liao Tiending 廖添丁傳奇
  • 1999 - Taiwan Liao Tiending 台灣廖添丁
  • 2002 - A Traditional Story of Taiwan: Liao Tiending 戲說台灣之少年廖添丁

Manga
  • 1995 - Youxia King 俠王傳

Book
  • 2017 - Chivalrous Liao Tiending 義俠廖添丁

Video Games

A Flash game called Shényǐng Wúzōng Liào Tiāndīng (神影無蹤廖添丁) was released in 2004.[8] The Legend Of Tianding is a video game with Liao Tianding as its main character. It was released in November of 2021.[9] It is a remake of the 2004 game in collaboration with the original creator.[10]

References
  1. Cheung, Han (15 Nov 2015). "From criminal to hero to deity". Taipei Times. p. 12. Retrieved 21 Nov 2015.
  2. Saunders, Richard (15 Nov 2007). "In the footsteps of Taiwan's Robin Hood". The China Post. Retrieved 21 Nov 2015.
  3. Yang, Meng-Yu (1998). Cloud Nine:Lin Hwai-Min and Cloud Gate Dance Theatre. Taipei: Tian xia yuan jian chu ban gu fen you xian gong si. pp. 139–142.
  4. Ma Shui-Long (2011). 台灣傳奇 廖添丁管弦樂組曲 [Legend of Taiwan : orchestral suite of chivalrous Liao Tian-Ding]. Taipei: 邱再興文教基金會. ISBN 978-9574187416.
  5. 廖添丁管弦樂組曲 : 馬水龍作曲 / 捷克布拉格交響樂團 演奏, 馬水龍 作曲. Institut für Sinologie, Universitat Heidelberg.
  6. Buchan, Noah (18 Nov 2011). "History: Taiwan's own Brave Sir Robin". Taipei Times. p. 14. Retrieved 21 Nov 2015.
  7. "持槍搶銀行第一人 李師科至今影響台灣三件事" (in Chinese). Sanlih E-Television. 24 November 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  8. "神影無踪廖添丁(2004) by Maso Lin". itch.io. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  9. "The Legend Of Tianding". Neon Doctrine. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  10. 巴哈姆特. "由《神影無蹤廖添丁》作者參與打造新作《廖添丁 - 絕代兇賊之死期》釋出新預告片". 巴哈姆特電玩資訊站. Retrieved 2021-06-11.


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