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 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, ...

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 ...

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 (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, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

. 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 The Warlord Era was the period in the history of the Republic of China between 1916 and 1928, when control of the country was divided between rival Warlord, military cliques of the Beiyang Army and other regional factions. It began after the de ...

, Lee Sun Chau moved from

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

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. HKSH has a School of Nursing, affiliated with The Open University of Hong Kong, which trains nurses up to degree level. It is affil ...

as an anesthesiologist under Dr. Li Shu Fan (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-senUsually known as Sun Zhongshan () in Chinese; also known by Names of Sun Yat-sen, several other names. (; 12 November 186612 March 1925) was a Chinese physician, revolutionary, statesman, and political philosopher who founded the Republ ...

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

in the 1920s. His poem (铁血战残清，言文新里怜，事成操故业，敝屣视功名。) describes the bloody fight against the Qing Dynasty, the new society resulting from the Revolution, his return to his profession afterward, and his not caring about fame.

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 R, or r, is the eighteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ar'' (pronounced ), plural ''ars''. The lette ...

(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 Colonel Sir Benjamin Alfred Dobson (1847–1898) was an English textile machinery manufacturer and mayor of Bolton. He was chairman of Dobson & Barlow, the company co-founded in 1790 by his great-great-uncle Isaac Dobson. Early life and family D ...

. 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 tradition, Reformed in outlook, with ...

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 Au Fung-Chi () (1847-1914), was a Hong Kong Protestant church leader. He was an Elder of To Tsai Church (道濟會堂), which was Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-senUsually known as Sun Zhongshan () in Chinese; also known by Names of Sun Yat-sen, several o ...

(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 (The HKMA; ) is a doctors’ association in Hong Kong. Established in 1920 as the Hong Kong Chinese Medical Association, it was renamed to its current name in 1970. Mission To bring together medical practition ...

香港醫學會). In 1922, he served as the Chairman of the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong (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 the first public secondary school founded by the British colonial government in Hong Kong. It was initially named The Government Central School () in 1862 and later renamed Victoria College () in 1890, and finally obtain ...

, 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 political thinker and reformer in China of the late Qing dynasty. His increasing closeness to and influence over the young Guangxu Emperor sparked confli ...

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) is a public research university in Pokfulam, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese by the London Missionary Society and formally established as the University of ...

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 as a medical officer of

St John Ambulance St John Ambulance is an affiliated movement of charitable organisations in mostly Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries which provide first aid education and consumables and emergency medical services. St John organisations are primari ...

. On Magazine Gap Road, 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 a Chinese military officer during the era of Nationalist China. Born into a Hakka Chinese family in Fangcheng, Guangxi, he joined the Tongmenghui in 190 ...

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 ( zh, t=何明華, j=Ho Ming Wah, p=Hé Mínghuá, first=j; 22 July 1895 in Newcastle upon Tyne – 22 April 1975 in Lewknor, Oxfordshire) was an English Anglican missionary bishop in Hong Kong and China in the mid 20th cen ...

(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 (鍾陳可慰) (1920-2011), was a

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

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 ...

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...

(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 primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

Kunming Kunming is the capital and largest city of the province of Yunnan in China. The political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province, Kunming is also the seat of the provincial government. During World War II, Kunming was a Ch ...

, where she worked under Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Fred Manget. 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 Allies of World War II, Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from British Raj, India to Republic of China (1912- ...

(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 Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

between

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

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, university professor and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (elected in 2023). She is best known for her invention of smart concrete. She is ranked by the 2022 Stanford University study to be 13th among 315,721 materials scientists in the world (living and deceased), 10th among those that are living, and 1st among those that are female.

References

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