Dr. Norman Bethune 白求恩: The Canadian admired by over a billion people in China, but virtually unknown in Canada

Posted by stephen - 23/09/09 at 09:09:35 pm

When I first came to China, whenever it was discovered that I was Canadian, I noticed a pretty common reaction from Chinese people: their eyes grew wide and a smile came to their face. Most would say Canada is a ‘good friend’ to China, and many mentioned ‘doctor’ followed by a Chinese name that I did not understand. I assumed it was their relative who was a doctor in Canada or something, and although a bit confused, I would smile and nod.

Months later, someone mentioned this doctor again, but this time followed by his English name: “Norman Bethune.”

I stared blankly and said I had never heard of him. They were shocked. “You don’t know Dr. Bethune? He is the most famous Canadian!! Everyone in China knows him!”

It was then explained to me that Dr. Bethune helped China during the Japanese invasion. How he set up blood transfusion stations, performed emergency battlefield surgical operations on Chinese troops, and trained medical personnel. How he was selfless and lived to help serve the suffering. And how after he died from blood poisoning while performing surgery during the Second Sino-Japanese War, he was hailed as a hero to the Chinese people.

In fact, he was so well regarded that Chairman Mao Zedong himself was inspired to publish an essay entitled “In Memory of Norman Bethune”, which spoke of the doctor’s final days in China, his selflessness in helping the Chinese people, and how he was an inspiration to all. This essay was required reading in China so it’s no surprise that virtually everyone in the country knows the name Dr. Norman Bethune (or at least his Chinese name, 白求恩 bai qiu en). Today, when many Chinese people think of Canada, they think of him and what he did for their country.

So how can it be that in Canada nobody knows who this man was? This is an historic figure who is beloved by a billion people in China, and yet is virtually unheard of in his home country.

The only recognition I’ve ever seen or heard of Norman Bethune in Canada is the statue dedicated to him near Concordia University in Montreal. Incidentally, this statue was donated by the Chinese Goverment, and I doubt that anyone other than overseas Chinese students know who it is. I can’t imagine what these overseas Chinese think when they come to Montreal and see the run-down statue of Bethune in a tiny, pigeon-shit covered park with old, broken benches, next to a metro station full of beggars, drunks, and hobos.

I sent an e-mail to the mayor’s office of Bethune’s hometown of Gravenhurst, Ontario a few years back. I was curious why no effort is made to preserve or at least respect his memory, considering the impact this figure has on so many people in China. They didn’t reply.

Could it be because he was a communist? And the idea that someone could be good, and be a communist is just too difficult for the average Canadian to accept? I hope not.

September 23, 2009 | In China, Other | 5 Comments

5 Comments »

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

You hit the nail on the head. The ending of the Sino-Japanese war coincided with the begginning of a full on, half century battle against communism from a western perspective. No possitive light was shown on any communist during these years, and it’s amazing Bethune wasn’t crucified as a traitor to his country… given the circumstances.

The only redemption that Canada deserves is that i saw, a few years back, a sort-of public service announcement commercial aired on CTV. “Canada in History” that ignored his political affiliations and gave credit to his selfless dedication to healing the sick. But for the most part Canadians remain completely oblivious to his standing the world over.

Come to think of it, the only reason i know of him is because of you steve… You’re so enlightened lol

Comment by t-dawg — September 24, 2009 #
Was that “Canada in History” the same series of commercials that mentioned the neurosurgeon and the lady who smelled burnt toast?

Past aside, it’s almost baffling that nobody in Canada (government, but especially private sector) is not using Canada+Bethune as a platform for improving relations and creating opportunity.

How is Gravenhurst’s economy doing right now? I’ll take a shot in the dark and say it’s sleepy at best. Here’s an idea: why don’t they create some sort of museum or something about Bethune’s life. The money that could be made from rich Chinese tourists alone wanting to visit his birthplace while in Canada would eclipse the cost of setting that up in a year, guaranteed.

Nah, that would be too logical. Just go the North Bay route and install a carousel and mini-train instead. PS: Also, kudos to the city of North Bay for creating a Weebly page for this; using GeoCities would have been so unprofessional…

Comment by stephen — September 24, 2009 #
well gravenhurst has some highland games and a turkey festival every year… but i’m not too sure it does them that well.

Yea “canada in history” is the same series with the burnt toast chick and how canadians invented basketball and penicillin

Comment by t-dawg — September 25, 2009 #
Well, I suppose there is not much good to say about supporting an ideology that has murdered over 180,000,000 people worldwide since 1917.

What would the inscription say? ‘I helped enable totalitarianism’? or ‘useful idiot who enabled murderers’?

For every one person saved through transfusion(to kill for Mao) thousands more lay in unmarked graves, courtesy of people like Bethune who supported violence and chose to walk that path.

Maoists in China, and leftists in Canada might remember him, but will shy from the discussion mentioned above.

Comment by Kursk — November 15, 2009 #
Do you know who incurred the violence during anti Japanese war? If you don’t know, don’t speak in such a stupid way. Bethune was helping Chinese people in fighting against Japanese invasion. It was Japanese people incurred the violence.

Comment by yuguo — January 11, 2010 #

Search

2009 chungkingmansions.com
[ contact ]

chungking mansions