Governor Shieh comes from Chang-hua County in Taiwan province. At the age of 20, he joined the resistance against Japanese rule, but could not find peace of mind. He therefore left Taiwan to pursue studies in Shanghai and Canton.
蔣主席曾特別指出：「謝東閔同志為台灣省彰化縣人，少年時期即富民族意識，二十歲時因反抗日人統治，不遑安處，適總裁領導國民革命軍北伐，衷心景慕，毅然離台，先後求學於上海、廣州等地。