Lavender Forest Co-founder Chan Hui-chun Passes Away; Lin Ting-fei: "She Went on a Trip to Heaven"

Reported by You Tzu-ju / Taipei

One of the renowned enterprise "Lavender Forest" co-founders, Chan Hui-chun, passed away unexpectedly yesterday (14th). Lavender Forest announced that Chan Hui-chun, who had been suffering from lung adenocarcinoma that had metastasized to the brain, was discharged from the hospital and returned to her hometown in Zhuolan yesterday morning, where she had her ventilator removed. She was 44 years old.


▲ Lavender Forest co-founders Chan Hui-chun (left) and Lin Ting-fei (right). (Photo / Provided by Lavender Forest)

Chan Hui-chun was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma during a health check-up in 2008. Doctors initially estimated she had only six months to live, but she faced the illness with a positive attitude for four years. However, 20 days ago, after experiencing a headache, she sought treatment at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, where doctors informed her that the cancer had spread to her brain. Yesterday morning, after returning to her hometown in Zhuolan from the hospital, she had her ventilator removed and passed away.

Following the news, the official website of Lavender Forest updated the "Messages for Hui-chun" section on its homepage today (15th). Co-founder Lin Ting-fei posted a letter titled "In Memory of Our Forever Beloved Hui-chun." The letter begins with "Hui-chun chose a bright and sunny day to go on a trip to heaven," and mentions that after being diagnosed with cancer, Chan Hui-chun handed over the management of the business to Lin Ting-fei, also a co-founder, and current village chief Wang Cun-huang. Nevertheless, she remained optimistic and cared about her partners, facing her illness fearlessly.

"We remember the fighting spirit that Hui-chun left behind. We must live happily and meaningfully, bring significance to others, and offer our guests heartfelt experiences. For us, Hui-chun, who loved to travel, will always be with us. She has simply embarked on a trip to heaven," Lin Ting-fei wrote in the letter, filled with deep sorrow.

Lavender Forest, which has become a legendary entrepreneurial story in Taiwan, began as a dream nurtured by Lin Ting-fei and Chan Hui-chun, inspired by Sanmao’s "Field of Dreams." Originally a foreign bank employee, Chan Hui-chun, along with Lin Ting-fei, a piano teacher from Kaohsiung, quit their jobs and headed to the mountains, transforming a betel nut plantation into a coffee and casual dining shop. Now in its 12th year, Lavender Forest has continuously expanded its business. In the eyes of Lin Ting-fei, who saw Chan Hui-chun as her "mentor in life," she has now, surrounded by everyone’s blessings, healthily continued her dream and gone on a trip to heaven.