Lee Sun Chau (周理信, i.e., 周六姑, 1890-1979) was one of the first female Chinese doctors of Western

Medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

Education and Medical Work

Lee Sun Chau was an alumna of Belilios Public School (庇理羅士女子中學). In the late 1910s she graduated from

Hackett Medical College for Women Lingnan University () in Guangzhou (Canton), China, was a private university established by a group of American missionaries in 1888. At its founding it was named Canton Christian College (). When the Communist government reorganized China's high ...

(夏葛女子醫學院), and she then worked as a staff physician at the David Gregg Hospital for Women and Children (also known as Yuji Hospital 柔濟醫院, currently 广州医学院第三附属医院) located on Duo Bao Road (多寶路), 广州市荔湾区

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...

. The photo at the right was taken in

, in the 1910s. It shows Lee Sun Chau (seated) and her classmate Yuen Hing WONG (黃婉卿) (standing). They both attended the Hackett Medical College for Women in

. Both graduated from the College and practiced Western Medicine in China. Due to the Warlord Era in

, Lee Sun Chau moved from

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

in late 1920. There she worked in

Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, or HKSH, is a private hospital established in 1922 in Happy Valley, Hong Kong. The hospital has more than 500 beds and various room types and facilities. It also has a 24 hours outpatient consultation service. ...

as an anesthesiologist under Dr.

Li Shu Fan Li Shu-fan (1887 – 24 November 1966) was a leader of the medical profession in Hong Kong and a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. Biography He was a native of China but received his early education in the US. Li graduated from ...

(1887-1966) and later as the Matron of the Hospital.

Marriage and Family

Lee Sun Chau married Po Yin Chan (陳步賢) (1883-1965) in

on Jan. 7, 1911. The wedding was officiated by Vicar Tsing-Shan Fok (霍靜山) (1851-1918) and was held in St. Stephen’s Church. Po-Yin Chan was an engineer and a revolutionary under

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serve ...

(孫中山) in the Chinese Revolution of 1911, and was a Senator of

in the 1920s.

Grandfathers

Lee Sun Chau was a granddaughter (father's side) of Rev. Hok Shu Chau 周學舒 r 周學, or 周勵堂(spelled Zhou Xue in Mandarin) (1826-1918), the first ordained Chinese minister of the Methodist Church 循道會 (衛斯理會) in Southern China Rev. Chau pastored the Methodist Church in

, in 1877-1916. Prior to being ordained, he conducted evangelical work in the clinic of Dr. Benjamin Dobson. In 1852, Rev. Chau was baptized by Rev.

Liang Fa Liang Fa (1789–1855), also known by other names, was the second Chinese Protestant convert and the first Chinese Protestant minister and evangelist. He was ordained by Robert Morrison, the first Protestant missionary in the Qing Empire. ...

梁發 (1789-1855), the very first Chinese pastor in the world. Rev.

was ordained by Dr. Robert Morrison (1782-1834), a missionary of the

London Missionary Society The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational miss ...

who translated the whole Bible to Chinese. Lee Sun Chau was also a granddaughter (mother's side) of Rev. Wei Tsing Wan (尹維清), who was ordained by the

in China.Rebecca Chan Chung, Deborah Chung and Cecelia Ng Wong, Piloted to Serve, 2012.

Uncle

Lee Sun Chau was a niece of Man-Kai Wan (尹文階)(1869-1927), who was a younger brother of her mother, a son of Rev. Wei Tsing Wan (尹維清) and a son-in-law of To Tsai Church (道濟會堂) Elder Au Fung-Chi (區鳳墀)(1847-1914). Au was the Chinese language teacher of

(孫中山). Man-Kai Wan was one of the first Chinese doctors of Western Medicine in Hong Kong. In 1920-1922, he served as the inaugural Chairman of the Hong Kong Chinese Medical Association 香港中華醫學會 (currently

Hong Kong Medical Association The Hong Kong Medical Association (HKMA; ), formerly called the Hong Kong Chinese Medical Association, is a medical association based in Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of t ...

香港醫學會). In 1922, he served as the Chairman of the

Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong The Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong () is a social and charity institution in Hong Kong. It was founded in 1901. It operates several major facilities such as the Wu Kai Sha Youth Village. History The Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong was founded in 1918 by ...

(香港中華基督教青年會). He was one of the founders of the

. He was also a secondary school classmate of

in The Government Central College (中央書院, currently

Queen's College, Hong Kong Queen's College () is a sixth form college for boys with a secondary school and the first public secondary school founded in Hong Kong by the British colonial government. It was initially named The Government Central School () in 1862 and la ...

, 皇仁書院) in

. Wan and Sun graduated from secondary school together in 1886. In 1893, they started a medical clinic (東西藥局) together. Wan also protected Sun during Sun's long and dangerous preparation for the 1911 Chinese Revolution. Man-Kai Wan was also the Chairman of the Board of a Christian newspaper called “Great Light Newspaper” (大光報) that was distributed in Hong Kong and China. In 1912, Sun wrote for the newspaper four words “與國同春”, meaning springtime along with the Nation.

Brother-in-law

Lee Sun Chau's brother-in-law (husband of her sister 周瑞莲, 1881-19xx, who was the eldest child of her parents) Hongkui Wong 黄康衢 (1876-1961) moved to Singapore to practice medicine after graduation from the Hong Kong Western Medical College 香港西醫書院 (same college attended by Sun Yat-Sen) in 1900. Wong was a member of the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance 中國同盟會 (Nanyang Branch). In 1900, Sun's Japanese friend Tōten Miyazaki 宮崎寅藏 (1871-1922, a Japanese person who supported the 1911 Chinese Revolution) came to Singapore to visit

Kang Youwei Kang Youwei (; Cantonese: ''Hōng Yáuh-wàih''; 19March 185831March 1927) was a prominent political thinker and reformer in China of the late Qing dynasty. His increasing closeness to and influence over the young Guangxu Emperor spar ...

康有為 (1858-1927, the leader of the Reform Movement 維新變法派 in the late Qing Dynasty), who was living at the time in the home of Shuyuan Qiu 邱菽园 (1873-1941, rich overseas Chinese businessman). Unexpectedly, Kang suspected that Tōten Miyazaki wanted to assassinate himself, so he reported to the British colonial government. Thus, Tōten Miyazaki was arrested. Sun then came to Singapore from Saigon to rescue him, but he was also detained. Wong and several other comrades in Singapore explained to the authorities that Miyazaki Tōten had no intention of assassinating Kang. As a result, Tōten Miyazaki was deported and permanently banned from entering Singapore, while Sun was banned from entering Singapore for five years.

Brother

Lee Sun Chau's younger brother is Wai Cheung Chau 周懷璋 (1893-1965), who was the 8th child, while Lee Sun Chau was the 6th child. Wai Cheung Chau graduated from the medical school of the

University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the fi ...

in 1916 and subsequently practiced medicine in Hong Kong for over four decades. He was the superintendent of the

. During the

Battle of Hong Kong The Battle of Hong Kong (8–25 December 1941), also known as the Defence of Hong Kong and the Fall of Hong Kong, was one of the first battles of the Pacific War in World War II. On the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor, forces of the ...

in December 1941, he was present in the battle at

Magazine Gap Road Magazine Gap Road is a winding road on the affluent and ultra-expensive Mid-Levels and the Peak on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is one of the main access leading to the Peak area. Description It starts low from Robinson Road and ...

as a medical officer of

St John Ambulance St John Ambulance is the name of a number of affiliated organisations in different countries which teach and provide first aid and emergency medical services, and are primarily staffed by volunteers. The associations are overseen by the internat ...

. On

, while he was in a car, the person sitting next to him was killed and he was wounded by a bullet through his lung. The blood clot in his lung was with him for the rest of his life. His medical work included the 1936 medical treatment of General

Chen Jitang Chen Jitang () (January 23, 1890 – November 3, 1954), also spelled Chen Chi-tang, was born into a Hakka Chinese family in Fangcheng, Guangxi. He joined the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance in 1908 and began serving in the Guangdong Army in 19 ...

陳濟棠 (1890-1954) from

. As a well-respected physician, he was elected as the president of the

in 1939. In 1919, he participated in founding successful schools for work-study people and women in Hong Kong. He died in 1965 at the age of 72. His funeral was officiated by

Ronald Hall Ronald Owen Hall (; Cantonese: ''Ho Ming Wah''; 22 July 1895 in Newcastle upon Tyne – 22 April 1975 in Lewknor, Oxfordshire) was an Anglican missionary bishop in Hong Kong and China in the mid 20th century. As an emergency measure during th ...

(何明華, 1895-1975), Anglican Church (

Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui The Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (abbreviated SKH), also known as the Hong Kong Anglican Church (Episcopal), is the Anglican church in Hong Kong and Macao. It is the 38th Province of the Anglican Communion. It is also one of the major denominations ...

) Bishop of

Daughter

Lee Sun Chau's second child, daughter

Rebecca Chan Chung Rebecca Chan Chung (; professionally known as Rebecca Chan, ; June 27, 1920 – December 7, 2011) was an American military nurse who served with the Flying Tigers and the United States Army in China during World War II. As a nurse with the Chin ...

(鍾陳可慰) (1920-2011), was a

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

(Nurse) with the

Flying Tigers The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was formed to help oppose the Japanese invasion of China. Operating in 1941–1942, it was composed of pilots from the United States Ar ...

and then the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

Kunming Kunming (; ), also known as Yunnan-Fu, is the capital and largest city of Yunnan province, China. It is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province as well as the seat of the provincial government. The headquar ...

, where she worked under Lieutenant Colonel Dr.

Fred Manget Fred Prosper Manget (21 January 1880 – 21 January 1979) was an American doctor, public servant, and medical missionary. He served for forty years in China from 1909 until the end of World War II. In 1909 Manget left the U.S. for China to purs ...

. In addition, as a Nurse with the

China National Aviation Corporation The China National Aviation Corporation () was a Chinese airline which was nationalized after the Chinese Communist Party took control in 1949, and merged into the People's Aviation Company of China () in 1952. It was a major airline under the ...

(CNAC) (中國航空公司) during

, she flew over

The Hump The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and t ...

(駝峰) across the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

between

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

for about 50 times. For her service during World War II, she was awarded U.S. World War II medals and the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal. After

, she became a Nursing educator and a leader of Nursing in

. Rebecca Chan Chung's autobiography, Piloted to Serve (飛虎戰, 駝峰險, 亂世情), provides details on Lee Sun Chau.

Granddaughter

Lee Sun Chau's granddaughter (the second child of Rebecca Chan Chung) Deborah Chung (鍾端玲) dedicated her book ''Carbon Fiber Composites'' (1994) to the memory of Lee Sun Chau. Deborah Chung is an American scientist and professor, who is best known for her invention of smart concrete. She is ranked 1st worldwide in the research field of Building and Construction, according to a 2021 Stanford University citation-based study.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chau, Lee Sun 1890 births 1979 deaths Chinese women physicians 20th-century Chinese physicians 20th-century women physicians