Biography

Hou Dejian (Chinese: 侯德健; pinyin: Hóu Déjiàn; Wade–Giles: Hou Te-Chien, Cantonese: Hau Dak-gin, born October 1, 1956), is a songwriter, composer, and singer from Taiwan.

Since the 1980s, his songs have been popular in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. His songs are written mostly in Chinese, with a few in English. The lyrics often reflect traditional Chinese thought, combined with a contemporary mentality.

In 1978, Hou Dejian wrote a song entitled "Descendants of the Dragon", with which he gained significant popularity. He left Taiwan for mainland China in 1983, despite the ban for the visit from the Republic of China government on Taiwan. He then witnessed and became a part of the hunger strike with three others in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 pro-democracy movement in Beijing. They have been called 'Four men of honour' (四君子).