一封寫於1909年的手寫英文信件，在擁有近兩個世紀歷史的利物浦醫學學會現場掀起熱烈討論。這封由中國現代醫學先驅顏福慶博士親筆所寫的信件，不僅揭開了他當年順利取得利物浦大學熱帶醫學文憑（D.T.M）的喜訊，更正式拉開了「先驅者顏福慶」海外巡展英國站的帷幕。
當地時間9月22日上午，由復旦大學上海醫學院、利物浦大學、解放日報社及利物浦醫學學會聯合主辦的「先驅者顏福慶」海外巡展英國站舉行盛大的剪綵開幕儀式。來自中英兩國的政府部門、醫學界、教育界、文化界人士與主流媒體嘉賓悉數出席，共同見證這場跨越百年的醫學人文交流盛事。
50件珍貴文獻重現傳奇 諾貝爾獎得主合影成焦點
本次展覽精心策劃，共展出文獻檔案、手稿信件、歷史影像、報紙刊物、書籍、復刻實物及影像等近50件（組）珍貴展品。展覽循著顏福慶博士早年的求學與行醫足跡，全面回望他如何從利物浦汲取先進的醫學與公共衛生理念，並在歸國後全身心投身中國現代醫學事業的傳奇一生。
展廳中，一張攝於利物浦大學地標建築前的22人老照片成為全場矚目的焦點。在一眾西方面孔中，顏福慶清瘦的身影清晰可辨。這張跨越百年的合影極具歷史價值，前排坐著多位當時的醫學泰斗，其中包括因揭示瘧疾傳播機制而榮獲1902年諾貝爾生理學或醫學獎的羅納德·羅斯爵士（Sir Ronald Ross），以及利物浦熱帶醫學院重要奠基人魯伯特·博伊斯爵士（Sir Rubert Boyce）。這幅珍貴畫面讓顏福慶當年的醫學求學環境變得具體而鮮活。
始於利物浦的醫學行旅 奠定中國現代醫學基石
顏福慶博士於1909年在美國耶魯大學取得醫學博士學位，成為該校首位獲得此學位的亞洲人。他在學成回國前取道英國，特別前往利物浦熱帶醫學院深造進修。這段在利物浦的寶貴經歷，為他日後回國推動公共衛生體系帶來了深遠的影響。
學成歸國後，顏福慶將所學化為行動，先後創辦了湘雅醫學院、國立上海醫學院（現復旦大學上海醫學院）及中山醫院；同時發起創立中華醫學會並出任首任會長；此外，他還接管了中國紅十字會總醫院（現華山醫院）並擔任院長，創辦澄衷肺病療養院（現上海市肺科醫院）等眾多指標性醫療機構。他的一生，為中國現代醫學教育、醫療服務與公共衛生事業的發展奠定了無可磨滅的重要基礎。
中國駐曼徹斯特總領事唐銳、利物浦大學校長蒂姆·瓊斯（Tim Jones）、復旦大學上海醫學院黨委副書記、副院長徐軍、利物浦副市長尼克·斯莫爾（Nick Small）、解放日報社副總編輯劉永鋼、利物浦大學莎莉·希爾德教授（Sally Sheard）、利物浦大學國際事務與校長助理彼得·麥考密克教授（ Peter McCormick）和利物浦大學師生、當地民眾等出席了開幕式，並觀看展覽。
中國駐曼徹斯特總領事唐銳在開幕式致辭表示，展覽不僅展現一位醫學先驅的人生歷程，更呈現百餘年來中西醫學互鑑的歷史。 顏福慶探索交流的精神，將持續助力中英在醫學科研、人才培養等領域深化合作。
利物浦大學校長蒂姆·瓊斯指出，跨越百年，顏福慶的故事依舊富有現實意義，教育搭建文明溝通橋樑，知識沒有國界。 復旦大學上海醫學院黨委副書記、副院長徐軍介紹，本次巡展繼南非首展後來到利物浦，是致敬，也是新起點，期待以展覽為契機，深化熱帶醫學、公共衛生等領域合作。
主辦方表示，本次展覽不僅是對顏福慶博士傳奇一生的致敬，更是對一個多世紀以來，他為中英醫學及人文交流所作重要貢獻的深刻紀念。期待透過此次海外巡展，進一步深化中英兩國在醫學與教育領域的緊密合作與友好對話。
Exhibition honours Chinese Medical Pioneer Dr Yan Fuqing Opens in Liverpool
For the first time in Europe, the special exhibition Dr Yan: Pioneer – A Bridge of Sino-British Medical & Cultural Exchange, has opened, celebrating the life and legacy of Dr Fuqing Yan, a University of Liverpool alumnus and pioneering figure in modern Chinese medicine.
Jointly presented by Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Jiefang Daily and the University of Liverpool, the exhibition will run from Tuesday 22 – Monday 26 September 2026 at the Liverpool Medical Institution.
Guests take part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Dr Yan: A Pioneer in Liverpool.
It commemorates Dr Yan Fuqing (1882–1970), a pioneer of modern medicine and medical education in China who had a special connection to Liverpool. After becoming the first Asian person to earn a medical doctorate from Yale University in 1909, Dr Yan pursued further studies at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Liverpool, where he was exposed to pioneering work in tropical medicine, disease prevention and public health.
Dr Yan Fuqing (1882–1970).
His experience in Liverpool had a lasting influence on his subsequent medical career. After returning to China, Dr Yan became the founding dean of two landmark medical schools that later developed into Xiangya School of Medicine at Central South University and Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University. He also played a key role in establishing the Chinese Medical Association and several major medical institutions, while promoting preventive medicine and public healthcare.
By bringing knowledge and ideas gained through his overseas studies into China’s developing medical system, Dr Yan became an important early link in medical and academic exchange between China and Britain. The exhibition traces this remarkable journey and pays tribute to his lasting contribution to Sino-British medical and cultural ties.
Dr Yan: A Pioneer features nearly 50 exhibits, including rare archival documents, handwritten manuscripts, historical photographs, newspapers, periodicals and books illustrating his life and achievements. Videos on Dr Yan by Prof. Zhang Wenhong (张文宏), Prof. Wen Yumei (闻玉梅), and other scholars are also included, highlighting his significant contributions and legacy.
Visitors explore the exhibition and its archival displays at Liverpool Medical Institution.
Highlights include Dr Yan’s register at the University of Liverpool and his doctorate from Yale School of Medicine.
To mark the exhibition’s Liverpool debut, the opening ceremony was attended by Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool; Tang Rui, Consul General of China in Manchester; Nick Small, Deputy Mayor of Liverpool; Professor Xu Jun, Deputy Dean of Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University; Liu Yonggang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Jiefang Daily; Professor Sally Sheard, Dean of the Institute of Population Health and Andrew Geddes and John Rankin Professor of Modern History; Counsellor Liang Yan, Head of the Education Section at the Chinese Consulate-General in Manchester; and Professor Peter McCormick, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Postgraduate Affairs and International Partnerships.
Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, described Dr Yan Fuqing as one of the University’s most distinguished alumni and a founding figure of modern medical education in China. “His life demonstrates how education can bridge cultures, advance knowledge and improve lives,” he said, adding that Dr Yan’s legacy continues to embody the University’s values of academic excellence, global engagement and service to society.
Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool.
Reflecting on Dr Yan’s connection with Liverpool, Professor Xu Jun, Deputy Dean of Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, noted that his studies in the city more than a century ago helped shape his later contributions to medical education and public health in China. He highlighted “serving the people” as an enduring part of Dr Yan’s legacy, describing the exhibition’s return to Liverpool as both a tribute to a medical pioneer and a new starting point for deeper China-UK cooperation in medical education and public health.
Professor Xu Jun, Deputy Dean of Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University.
Nick Small, Deputy Mayor of Liverpool, highlighted the city’s long-standing ties with China, particularly its 27-year friendship-city relationship with Shanghai. He described Dr Yan’s story as a powerful example of cross-cultural learning and exchange, and expressed the hope that the exhibition would introduce his legacy to a wider audience while further strengthening exchanges between Liverpool and Shanghai, and between the UK and China.
Nick Small, Deputy Mayor of Liverpool.
Professor Sally Sheard, Dean of the Institute of Population Health and Andrew Geddes and John Rankin Professor of Modern History, placed Dr Yan’s time in Liverpool within the wider history of the city’s pioneering work in public health and tropical medicine. She noted the lasting influence of his studies in Liverpool in 1909 on his commitment to disease prevention, public health and medical innovation. The University, she added, was enormously proud to count Dr Yan among its distinguished alumni, with his legacy continuing through collaboration between Liverpool and China in public health and medical research.
Professor Sally Sheard, Dean of the Institute of Population Health and Andrew Geddes and John Rankin Professor of Modern History.
For Tang Rui, Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Manchester, Dr Yan’s studies in Liverpool helped build an important bridge for medical and academic exchange between China and the UK, forging a century-long connection between Shanghai Medical College and Liverpool. “Medicine knows no borders, and improving human health and well-being is a shared mission,” he said. Looking ahead, Tang reaffirmed the Consulate General’s support for closer cooperation in medical education, public health research and cultural exchange between universities, cities and the two countries.
Tang Rui, Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Manchester.
Following the speeches, representatives of the participating institutions exchanged commemorative gifts. Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University presented the University of Liverpool with a woven artwork depicting its oldest historic building, the East No. 1 Building. In return, the University of Liverpool presented a high-resolution facsimile of Dr Yan Fuqing’s 1909 university student registration record.
Professor Tim Jones presents Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University a high-resolution facsimile of Dr Yan Fuqing’s signed 1909 student registration record.
Jiefang Daily also presented the University with an original copy of Shen Bao dated 21 December 1921. The newspaper carried an extensive report on the visit to China by Percy Maude Roxby, the University of Liverpool’s distinguished Professor of Geography, who travelled there for academic exchanges and lectures. It is believed to contain the earliest detailed reports about the University of Liverpool in the Chinese language press. The University presented Jiefang Daily with an artwork featuring Liverpool’s iconic waterfront buildings, collectively known as the Three Graces.
Mr. Liu Yonggang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Jiefang Daily, presents the University of Liverpool with an issue of Shen Bao dated 21 December 1921, which is believed to contain the earliest detailed coverage of the University in the Chinese-language press.
Exhibition draws strong interest
Exhibition displays trace Dr Yan Fuqing’s life, education and contributions to modern medicine.
Wang Na, Editor of Jiefang Daily and curator of Dr Yan: A Pioneer, said: “Any words used to describe this humble pioneer’s historic contributions to modern Chinese medicine would hardly be an exaggeration. Dr Yan’s life was, in this sense, truly extraordinary. He not only helped build a modern system of medical education, but also inspired successive generations of Chinese doctors and medical students to travel to Britain for further study and training.”
She added that such a life required “moral integrity and immense courage”, saying: “I hope that, as visitors here in Liverpool leave the exhibition hall, they will carry with them this sense of moral courage and a deeper appreciation of the century-spanning Sino-British medical and cultural dialogue that Dr Yan helped to initiate.”
Professor Stothard from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine was particularly struck by the little-known story of a young Chinese doctor who came to Liverpool to study tropical medicine more than a century ago. He noted that Dr Yan later made significant contributions to medicine and medical education in China, and welcomed the exhibition for bringing this remarkable historical connection back to life in Liverpool.
Zhou Jing, a medical researcher who received a PhD from the Department of Physiology at the University of Liverpool, said the exhibition gave her a deeper appreciation of Dr Yan’s legacy. “Learning that Dr Yan studied in Liverpool in 1909 and brought ideas about public health back to China was deeply inspiring,” she said. “His commitment to medicine and serving the public has strengthened my own determination to contribute to medical research, improve patients’ lives and advance public health.”
The exhibition also drew interest from students at the University of Liverpool. One student was surprised to discover Dr Yan’s connection with the city more than a century ago, describing his journey from studying medicine in Liverpool to making significant contributions to medical education in China as an inspiring example of the lasting impact of international education.
Liverpool is the second stop on the global tour and the first in Europe for Dr Yan: A Pioneer, following its debut in South Africa.