Introduction
Lieutenant General Chen Yinji (courtesy name Yufei, 1898–1975), originally from Xingning, Guangdong, graduated from Yunnan Military Academy in 1921 and was then sent to officer candidate school abroad on government funding, where he studied artillery. After his return, Chen became a junior ranking officer in the artillery section of the Whampoa Military Academy in 1924, served in the First Division of the National Revolutionary Army in 1925, and later participated in the Northern Expedition. In 1930, he was promoted to major general when serving as a department head in the Ministry of War, and later while participating in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War, was promoted to lieutenant general. After moving to Taiwan, Chen worked in veterans homes in Miaoli, Yilan, and Hualien. He was officially discharged from the Army as a major general in 1961 and passed away in 1975.
The Archives holds Chen’s personal documents, totaling sixty-two items, which were donated by his descendant Ms. I-shen Chen in 2017. The contents largely cover the period of his military service, including appointments, certificates, and notices, as well as correspondences, manuscripts, and work records. Perhaps of most value are the directories and “jinlan pu” (lit. “directory of golden orchids,” namely genealogical records often exchanged by sworn brothers) that illustrate the networks of military personnel during the early Republican Era of China.
The Archives holds Chen’s personal documents, totaling sixty-two items, which were donated by his descendant Ms. I-shen Chen in 2017. The contents largely cover the period of his military service, including appointments, certificates, and notices, as well as correspondences, manuscripts, and work records. Perhaps of most value are the directories and “jinlan pu” (lit. “directory of golden orchids,” namely genealogical records often exchanged by sworn brothers) that illustrate the networks of military personnel during the early Republican Era of China.