Li Ao

Li Ao
李敖
Li Ao at Fayuan Temple in Beijing in 2005
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office 1 February 2005 – 31 January 2008
Constituency	Taipei 2
Personal details
Born	(1935-04-25)25 April 1935 Harbin, Manchukuo
Died	18 March 2018(2018-03-18) (aged 82) Taipei, Taiwan
Cause of death	Brain tumor
Spouses	Terry Hu ​ ​ (m. 1980; div. 1980)​ Wang Zhihui ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	Hedy Lee [zh] (1964, daughter) Li Kan [zh] (1992, son) Li Chen (1994, daughter)
Parent(s)	Li Dingyi Zhang Kuichen
Education	National Taiwan University (BA)
Occupation	Writer, social commentator, historian, independent politician
Known for	Civil rights movement, Activism, Chinese culture criticism
Courtesy name	Aozhi (敖之) (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ngô͘ Chi)

Li Ao (Chinese: 李敖; pinyin: Lǐ Áo; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lí Ngô͘, also spelled Lee Ao; 25 April 1935 – 18 March 2018) was a Chinese-Taiwanese writer, historian and independent politician.^[1]

Li rose to fame in the early 1960s for his articles in Wenxing (1957-1988), an intellectual Taiwan magazine where he defended Hu Shih, criticized traditional Chinese culture, and advocated for total Westernization, sparking a major cultural debate between Chinese and Western ideologies. In his early years, Li rarely addressed contemporary political issues. However, he gradually became a vocal critic of the Kuomintang’s (KMT) authoritarian one-party rule and its promotion of personality cult propaganda in Taiwan. Li also opposed the recognition of the Republic of China’s sovereignty over Taiwan. During the 1970s, he participated in the pro-democracy Tangwai movement, eventually becoming a political prisoner and serving two jail terms.

After martial law was lifted in Taiwan in 1987, Li frequently ran for public office. In 2000, he ran for president as a candidate representing the New Party in the Republic of China presidential election. From 2004 to 2008, he served as an independent legislator in the Legislative Yuan. After leaving office, Li engaged in writing and teaching, and became a media personality hosting shows such as Li Ao Speaks His Mind (李敖有话说) and Li Ao’s Wit and Humor (李敖语妙天下).

Li espoused liberalism, Chinese nationalist ideals, and anti-American and anti-Japanese sentiments. He was a prominent critic of the Chiang family and, following Taiwan’s democratization in the 1990s, he also criticized the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), opposing Taiwanese independence and advocating for cross-strait reunification. In his later years, Li praised the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for revitalizing China but also condemned and mocked its authoritarianism.