Slow Boat West: Taiwanese Physicians in China During the Japanese Era

The doctor boom began during the Japanese colonial era.

Professor Xu Xueji of the Institute of Taiwan History, Academia Sinica; Zhong Shumin, Researcher and Director of the Institute of Taiwan History, Academia Sinica; and Su Shanghao, Cardiac Surgeon and Golden Tripod Award Winner - Professional Recommendation

"First, I sell ice cream. Second, I'm a doctor."
During the Japanese colonial period, Western medicine became a hot emerging industry.
Not only are they regarded as elites, but they also symbolize high socioeconomic status.
Therefore, how to obtain opportunities to study and practice medicine has become the focus of everyone's attention;
These Taiwanese doctors can be seen not only in Taiwan, but also in places like Manchuria and Xiamen, China.

Taiwanese doctors in China during the Japanese colonial period epitomize the Taiwanese people's struggle to survive under a colonial system, caught between the Sino-Japanese divide. This historical development also fostered the Taiwanese's flexibility in adapting to changing circumstances, allowing them to navigate this system to pursue desired destinations or better opportunities. This was evident in the movement of Taiwanese doctors to Xiamen, Shanghai, Nanjing, Tianjin, Peking, and Manchuria. Their presence was widespread, reaching not only Xiamen, just across the water, but also Peking and Manchuria.

This phenomenon also undergoes periodic changes and regional variations. If a place offers favorable conditions for Taiwanese to practice medicine or study medicine, it will naturally attract them, as was the case with medical schools in Manchuria and Qingdao. The phenomenon of Taiwanese studying medicine in places like Manchuria and Qingdao confirms the surge in Taiwanese medical training during the Japanese colonial era. When opportunities in Taiwan became scarce, they left the island to seek other opportunities in East Asia. In other words, Taiwanese people use East Asia as their stage, not just Taiwan itself.

The book is divided into two main sections: "Why Taiwanese Doctors Went to China" and "Where They Went." The first section discusses the historical context, while the second section discusses the distribution of these doctors and several interesting cases.

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Overall, this book focuses on the movement of Taiwanese people under the influence of Japanese colonial policy, including Taiwanese doctors in China, who grasped opportunities and created their own unique lives. The story is exciting, the writing is fluent, and there are many illustrations, making it highly readable. - Xu Xueji

Regarding how Taiwanese people practiced medicine in China, this book first details the qualifications required to practice medicine, and then lists the stories of many Taiwanese doctors who have made great achievements. It makes people marvel at the extraordinary circumstances of the Taiwanese people and feel the history that has been turned upside down by the great times. - Zhong Shumin

Li Hang's extensive research into historical materials and his explanation of the relationship between doctors and the times allow us to glimpse the medical environment, political situation, and the interaction between doctors and society at that time... - Su Shanghao

Unanimous recommendation

Li Wencheng | Renowned author. He Yilin, "A Hundred Problems Solved Through One Experience" | Li Shangren, Professor of the Department of Taiwanese Literature, National Taipei University of Education | Li Gang, Researcher at the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica | Lin Yijing, Executive Director of the Yingxiang Culture and Arts Foundation | CEO of Aier Technology
Zhang Xiurong | Former Professor and Director of the Department of History at National Taiwan University, Current Consultant at National Taiwan University Hospital Zhang Dianwan | Writer Guo Wenhua | Professor at the Institute of Public Health, Institute of Science, Technology and Society, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Yang Sibang | Author of "There Must Be Someone," Bestselling Author, Physician Lei Xianglin | Researcher and Director of the Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica Xue Huayuan | Professor at the Institute of Taiwan History, National Chengchi University Xie Jinyu | Historical Writer

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2024-02-20

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