About a week ago, I had written a story describing Taiwanese war with the French in 1884. Failing to succeed in the battle field at Tamsui on October 8 of 1884, French blockaded the island for 6 months. During the blockade period, French did allow English war ships to transport foreigners of European, American and Canadian origins out of the island. Dr. MacKay of Canada, a Presbyterian minister in Taiwan at a time refused to board the warship. He said, "My precious belongings are the Taiwanese on this island." Dr. MacKay vowed to live and die with fellow Taiwanese during the French blockade on Taiwan in 1884.
Who is Dr. MacKay? Every Taiwanese knows him as 馬偕医師, and thanks him for his ministry, and his medical and educational services in Taiwan. Many Taiwanese believe that Dr. Mackay loves Taiwan more than many Taiwanese born and raised on the islands.
Dr. MacKay was born and raised in Canada. He graduated from Princeton seminary in 1870. My Presbyterian friends in Appleton, Wisconsin can relate this part of the story. Pastor Chuck's daughter also went to Princeton seminary few years ago. (Pastor Chuck is the pastor at Memorial Presbyterian Church (my church) in Appleton, WI.). I also went to Princeton University 1971-1977. Princeton Seminary is a 5-minute walk from the place I used to live (called Princeton Graduate College, which is actually a place for graduate students to live) in Princeton.
Dr. MacKay set up a hospital at Tamsui in 1880, and a woman Oxford college in 1884. In that women college, he offered free tuition and living expenses for women students in his school. Dr. MacKay even had his Taiwanese name as 偕叡理, or Kay-Jun-Li. Last year, Taiwanese had made an opera play with a title of Dr. MacKay to commemorate his life and devotion in Taiwan. The hospital was the first Taiwanese modern hospital that helped Taiwan become one of the nations in the world with the reputation of medical excellence. The woman college was also the first in Taiwan. Today, men and women are treated the same to receive education; not at the time when Dr. MacKay set up the women college. In earlier days, parents did not send girls to school. The Oxoford Women college had provided many social functions in achieving gender equality in Taiwanese history.
Dr. MacKay, we thank you.
Photo shows the statue of Dr. MacKay at Tamsui.
2 comments:
Yes, Dr. MacKay did a lot of great things for Taiwanese while he was in Taiwan. I saw a movie about the first Taiwanese women doctor. I can't remember the name but it did mention about the Women college too.
thanks, Dr. Chen good story.
The movie's name is called Lan-Tau-Sa; or 浪淘沙. Your comments make me curious about Taiwanese first woman doctor. Can anyone provide me more information for me to write the story about her.
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