Roots In Medicine: The Tale of Five Chinese Canadian Generations
New Beginnings in Victoria
At the beginning of the last century, my great-grandfather, Zhong Yu Lo, and my grandfather, Zhong Hou Feng came to Victoria Island, British Columbia, Canada from Guangdong, Mainland China, by paying the head tax required to enter the country.
Through hard work and active participation in the construction, design, and management of the Victoria Chinese Hospital, Chinese Public School, and Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA), he was able to accumulate some wealth. In 1925, he was appointed as the president of the Chinese Hospital. In the 1930's, he served as chairman of CCBA and director of Chinese Public School for several terms.
He previously joined the Chinese United League to support Sun Yat-Sen's revolutionary cause, donating materials and money to the Chinese government during the Second Sino-Japanese War. My great-grandfather's cousin Zhong Nian Zu once rescued Sun Yat-Sen in Haiphong, Vietnam. His deeds had been widely circulated among overseas Chinese in Vietnam for decades. After the success of the 1911 Revolution, he was commended by President Sun Yat-Sen.
My great-grandfather eventually retired and settled in Guangzhou in 1946, while my grandfather stayed in Canada. Due to the war and the impact of Chinese Exclusion Act, my grandmother, my father, as well as my grandfather's siblings were unable to set foot in Canada for decades, resulting in the separation of husband and wife, and the inability to reunite with family and friends.
It was not until the 1980's and 1990's that my great-grandfather's second and third generation descendants were able to immigrate to Canada. Fifty years after my great-grandfather left Canada, myself and the next generation were finally able to make a home in Canada, though not without great difficulty.
Journey Into Medicine
My lifelong dream was to go to Canada, where my great-grandfather and grandfather lived, to see waht kind of place it is. As far as I knew, it is a vast place, where the waves are rolling, rapeseed flowers are fragrant, and thick glaciers rest atop the Rocky Mountains. The cedar branches covered with snow and ice can only be described as a winter wonderland. It is a distant, peaceful land facing the Pacific Ocean and the East.
I was born and raised in Mainland China. Like many people, I worked as a farmer in the countryside after high school graduation. Later, I took the college entrance examination and received formal medical education. Although one majors in Chinese medicine, they also need to study Western medicine. After graduation, I was assigned as a doctor in a grassroots hospital, where I worked at for more than ten years.
In 1996, I came to Canada and worked as a handyman at a Chinese herbal store, carrying heavy objects, cleaning toilets, selling dry goods, and preparing Chinese medicine. Because my boss appreciated my medical background, he gave me the opportunity to be a resident Chinese medicine practitioner at the store. Later on, I opened my own Chinese medicine and acupuncture clinic.
During my 27+ years of work in Canada, I had to deal with various diseases every day. Because of that, I deeply felt that the knowledge and skills I had learned and mastered before were far from enough, so I resolved to study day and night in order to keep improving. I was determined to gain a comprehensive understanding of Chinese medicine and apply it clinically to treat various conditions.
The Impact of TCM
I have treated vegetative and paraplegic patients who were once considered hopeless, to regain the ability to walk. My treatments with stroke patients helped them recover quickly and were praised as miraculous by Western medical doctors. Women suffering from infertility and miscarriage were finally able to become mothers, giving birth to new life. Patients were difficult and complicated skin diseases were given a chance to be cured. I've also helped cancer patients to regain physical strength and reduce the physical and mental side effects of chemotherapy treatments. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) medical philosophy and methodologies were used to successfully help many infected people. In common times, we aimed to promote and disseminate knowledge about TCM through TV programs, radio shows, and in-person lectures across many communities.
A Moment of Reflection
Looking back on decades of life that I spent in Canada, it has been bittersweet. I can proudly say that I have laboured ceaselessly for Canadian society and have finally realized my dream.
At the beginning of the last century, my great-grandfather, Zhong Yu Lo, and my grandfather, Zhong Hou Feng came to Victoria Island, British Columbia, Canada from Guangdong, Mainland China, by paying the head tax required to enter the country.
Through hard work and active participation in the construction, design, and management of the Victoria Chinese Hospital, Chinese Public School, and Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA), he was able to accumulate some wealth. In 1925, he was appointed as the president of the Chinese Hospital. In the 1930's, he served as chairman of CCBA and director of Chinese Public School for several terms.
He previously joined the Chinese United League to support Sun Yat-Sen's revolutionary cause, donating materials and money to the Chinese government during the Second Sino-Japanese War. My great-grandfather's cousin Zhong Nian Zu once rescued Sun Yat-Sen in Haiphong, Vietnam. His deeds had been widely circulated among overseas Chinese in Vietnam for decades. After the success of the 1911 Revolution, he was commended by President Sun Yat-Sen.
My great-grandfather eventually retired and settled in Guangzhou in 1946, while my grandfather stayed in Canada. Due to the war and the impact of Chinese Exclusion Act, my grandmother, my father, as well as my grandfather's siblings were unable to set foot in Canada for decades, resulting in the separation of husband and wife, and the inability to reunite with family and friends.
It was not until the 1980's and 1990's that my great-grandfather's second and third generation descendants were able to immigrate to Canada. Fifty years after my great-grandfather left Canada, myself and the next generation were finally able to make a home in Canada, though not without great difficulty.
Journey Into Medicine
My lifelong dream was to go to Canada, where my great-grandfather and grandfather lived, to see waht kind of place it is. As far as I knew, it is a vast place, where the waves are rolling, rapeseed flowers are fragrant, and thick glaciers rest atop the Rocky Mountains. The cedar branches covered with snow and ice can only be described as a winter wonderland. It is a distant, peaceful land facing the Pacific Ocean and the East.
I was born and raised in Mainland China. Like many people, I worked as a farmer in the countryside after high school graduation. Later, I took the college entrance examination and received formal medical education. Although one majors in Chinese medicine, they also need to study Western medicine. After graduation, I was assigned as a doctor in a grassroots hospital, where I worked at for more than ten years.
In 1996, I came to Canada and worked as a handyman at a Chinese herbal store, carrying heavy objects, cleaning toilets, selling dry goods, and preparing Chinese medicine. Because my boss appreciated my medical background, he gave me the opportunity to be a resident Chinese medicine practitioner at the store. Later on, I opened my own Chinese medicine and acupuncture clinic.
During my 27+ years of work in Canada, I had to deal with various diseases every day. Because of that, I deeply felt that the knowledge and skills I had learned and mastered before were far from enough, so I resolved to study day and night in order to keep improving. I was determined to gain a comprehensive understanding of Chinese medicine and apply it clinically to treat various conditions.
The Impact of TCM
I have treated vegetative and paraplegic patients who were once considered hopeless, to regain the ability to walk. My treatments with stroke patients helped them recover quickly and were praised as miraculous by Western medical doctors. Women suffering from infertility and miscarriage were finally able to become mothers, giving birth to new life. Patients were difficult and complicated skin diseases were given a chance to be cured. I've also helped cancer patients to regain physical strength and reduce the physical and mental side effects of chemotherapy treatments. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) medical philosophy and methodologies were used to successfully help many infected people. In common times, we aimed to promote and disseminate knowledge about TCM through TV programs, radio shows, and in-person lectures across many communities.
A Moment of Reflection
Looking back on decades of life that I spent in Canada, it has been bittersweet. I can proudly say that I have laboured ceaselessly for Canadian society and have finally realized my dream.