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Janez Janež (pronounced ; January 14, 1913 – October 11, 1990) was a Slovene
medical doctor A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis ...
and
surgeon In medicine, a surgeon is a medical doctor who performs surgery. Even though there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon is a licensed physician and received the same medical training as physicians before spec ...
who worked for most of his life in
mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...
and
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
. In Chinese he is known as Fan Fenglong () or simply Doctor Fan (). He was known as Oki which means big in Japanese.


Life and work

Janež was born on January 14, 1913, in
Dolsko Dolsko ( or ; in older sources also ''Dolško'',''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 18. ) is a settlement northeast of Ljubljana in the ...
near
Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...
,
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
. His parents Ana and Franc Janež had three other sons (Franc Jr., Karel, and Viktor) and one daughter (Mimi). After graduating from a classical secondary school, his mother encouraged him to study
theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...
. However, Janež decided to study
medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
in
Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...
,
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
, and
Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...
. He received his
doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
on May 28, 1937. Later he continued specialized studies in
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
and
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
. He began working as a surgeon at the Ljubljana hospital in 1937. He continued to work as physician and surgeon during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. During the war he was neither militarily nor politically active. He did not collaborate with the German or Italian forces, but after the war Yugoslav communist authorities accused him of
collaborationism Wartime collaboration is cooperation with the enemy against one's country of citizenship in wartime. As historian Gerhard Hirschfeld says, it "is as old as war and the occupation of foreign territory". The term ''collaborator'' dates to the 19th c ...
and put him on a death-sentence list. To save his life, he fled to a refugee camp in
Carinthia Carinthia ( ; ; ) is the southernmost and least densely populated States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The Lake Wolayer is a mountain lake on the Carinthian side of the Carnic Main ...
,
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
. This camp was under British military command. When Yugoslavia demanded the repatriation of these refugees, British soldiers loaded them on a train, saying that they were going to Italy. However, Janež suspected that they were going in wrong direction and he fled again. Most of the people on the train were murdered without trial at Kočevje Rog and several other locations in Slovenia. Janež spent a while hiding in Austria. In 1947 he went to
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. There he met Ladislav Lenček, a lazarist who proposed that he go to
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and help Italian missionaries as a physician. Janež decided to become a lay
missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...
—a Christian missionary who has not received
Holy Orders In certain Christian denominations, holy orders are the ordination, ordained ministries of bishop, priest (presbyter), and deacon, and the sacrament or rite by which candidates are ordained to those orders. Churches recognizing these orders inclu ...
, but dedicates his life in serving other people and giving them a good example of Christian love and virtues. Soon he left Italy, and after a brief stop in 1948 in Buenos Aires,
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
he came to China. In
mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...
he worked as a
medical doctor A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis ...
in
Zhaotong Zhaotong ( zh, t=昭通) is a prefecture-level city located in the northeast corner of Yunnan province, China, bordering the provinces of Guizhou to the south and southeast and Sichuan to the northeast, north, and west. History Zhaotong has ...
(昭通, WG: Chaot'ung),
Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...
. The hospital in Zhaotong was supervised by Camillian monks from
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and nuns from
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
. On his arrival, the hospital was in quite poor condition. It lacked modern equipment and the staff was not suitably qualified. Janež organized educational training of the staff and bought some modern equipment (thanks to donations made by sponsors from abroad): an
X-ray machine An X-ray machine is a device that uses X-rays for a variety of applications including medicine, X-ray fluorescence, electronic assembly inspection, and measurement of material thickness in manufacturing operations. In medical applications, X-ra ...
and
surgical instruments A surgical instrument is a medical device for performing specific actions or carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access for viewing it. Over time, many different kinds of ...
. Soon the hospital experienced a real boom and the fame of the miraculous doctor who could cure any illness began to spread among the neighboring population. During this period Janež realized that he would not be able to establish sincere contact with his patients without knowledge of the language, and so he began learning Chinese. In 1952 the
Chinese communist The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil W ...
authorities arrested the entire hospital staff. Along with some colleagues, Janež was sentenced to death but later his sentence was changed to expulsion from the country. He moved to
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, to the town of
Luodong Luodong Township (), sometimes spelled Lotung or Lotong, is an Township (Taiwan), urban township in the central part of Yilan County, Taiwan, Yilan County, Taiwan. Luodong is the smallest township in the county by area. Toponym Its name and forme ...
in Yilan County. He intentionally chose this small and undeveloped town because he saw that the people living there had greater need of his medical help. The situation in the city was desperate. Taiwan had accepted many refugees from the mainland, and the people were afflicted by poverty and diseases caused by lack of hygiene. There was no hospital. The Camilian monks established a small outpatient clinic that over the years evolved into a modern hospital, now known as St. Mary's Hospital. In this hospital Janež lived and worked for the next 38 years. He worked from dawn to late evening, and he often performed 10 or more difficult operations in one day. During all this time he refused wages; he requested only a small apartment, food, and a little pocket money. He died on October 11, 1990. He was buried on October 19 in Luodong. On the day of his burial, an enormous crowd came to Luodong to honor the memory of this great man whose entire life was a sacrifice to simple people in need.


Honors and awards

: * Order of St. Sylvester (1969) *
Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great (; ) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of the five Papal order of knighthood, orders of knighthood of th ...
(1969) The Taiwanese authorities awarded him the "Good Man" medal. In 2007, the Dr. Fan Fenglong Memorial Center (范鳳龍紀念大樓) was opened in Luodong.


References and external links

*Ciglar, Tone (1993). ''Dr. Janez Janež - utrinek božje dobrote''. Zbirka Knjižice, Katehetski center. Ljubljana. *Dobrovc, Anica - screenplay; Hren, Slavko - director (2000). ''Doktor Fan na Tajvanu'', videocassette. Družina Editions and TV Slovenia - Artistic Program. Ljubljana.
Janez Janež
(Slovene)

(Slovene)
Društvo dr. Janeza Janeža
(Slovene)

(Chinese)
Fan FengLong
(Chinese) {{DEFAULTSORT:Janez, Janez 1913 births 1990 deaths Slovenian surgeons Slovenian Roman Catholics Slovenian expatriates in Taiwan Taiwanese surgeons Slovenian expatriates in China People from the Municipality of Dol pri Ljubljani 20th-century surgeons