30-Second Overview:
In 1872, 28-year-old Mackay landed in Tamsui, beginning a profound 3ally 30-year connection with Taiwan. He was not only the first overseas missionary in northern Taiwan but also a dentist, educator, naturalist, and "Taiwanese son-in-law." He extracted over 20,000 teeth to win trust, founded Oxford College and Taiwan's first girls' school, and collected hundreds of botanical and zoological specimens during his missionary journeys. His spirit of "rather burn out than rust out" remains a significant milestone in the history of Taiwan's modernization.
The "Black-Bearded Foreigner" on the Tamsui Riverbank
On March 9, 1872, a ship named the Sea Dragon slowly entered the mouth of the Tamsui River. Standing on board was a young Canadian man with a thick black beard, named George Leslie Mackay. He was only 28 years old, carrying very little funding provided by the Canadian Presbyterian Church, but his heart was filled with the determination to dedicate his life to this island.
At that time, the residents of Tamsui were full of hostility toward this "black-bearded foreigner" (heixu fan). Walking through the streets, Mackay often encountered insults, spitting, and even attacks with stones. To integrate into the local community, his first step was not to open the Bible, but to enter the fields. He found that the hired Taiwanese language teachers were too rigid, so he turned to learning from the young shepherds tending cattle on the hills. He would take out a pocket watch, using its ticking sound to attract children in exchange for one authentic Tâi-gī (Taiwanese) word after another. In less than six months, he could chat with farmers and even engage in debates in fluent Taiwanese.
📝 Curator's Note: Mackay's success did not come from profound doctrines, but from his willingness to bend down and learn the humblest language from shepherd children. This posture of "identification" was the key to his later deep integration into Taiwanese society.
The Compassion Behind 20,000 Teeth
The image of Mackay most deeply embedded in Taiwan's memory is perhaps not him preaching from a pulpit, but holding dental forceps to extract teeth for the people. In 19th-century Taiwan, toothaches were a nightmare for many, and the medical environment was extremely scarce. Mackay realized that rather than merely talking about faith, it was better to directly address people's physical pain.
Starting in 1873, Mackay carried dental forceps with him on his missionary journeys. He recorded in his diary that he extracted over 21,000 teeth throughout his life. He often performed extractions at temple entrances, under large trees, or even by the roadside. This form of medical mission—"the Bible in one hand, the forceps in the other"—completely dismantled local suspicion. The "Huwei Clinic" he established in Tamsui was not only the first Western-style hospital in northern Taiwan but also the predecessor to today's Mackay Memorial Hospital.
"Since 1873, I have personally extracted more than twenty-one thousand teeth." — Mackay, From Far Formosa
📝 Curator's Note: Tooth extraction at that time was not just medical treatment; it was a social ritual. Every tooth that fell out represented the trust of a Taiwanese family in this foreigner.
Into the Deep Mountains and Coasts: Protector of Indigenous Peoples
Mackay's missionary footprints spanned northern Taiwan. Starting from Tamsui, he crossed the Caoling Ancient Trail to reach the Yilan (formerly Yilan/Galam) plains. His influence on the Plains Indigenous groups (especially the Kavalan people) was particularly profound. In the 1880s, within just a few years, he established over 30 churches in the Lanyang Plain, with more than two thousand people baptized.
He was not only a missionary but also an early anthropologist and explorer. He visited Atayal (Tayal) tribes deep in the mountains; despite language barriers and the threat of headhunting, he attempted to build connections through medical services. He recorded vast amounts of Indigenous customs and artifacts, which later became the foundation for his establishment of Taiwan's first private museum, the "Lixuetang Academy Museum."
Scientific Exploration: Collecting the Soul of Formosa
Beyond religion and medicine, Mackay was a passionate naturalist. When leading students on preaching trips, he always carried collection boxes. He exhibited immense curiosity toward Taiwan's flora, fauna, minerals, and geology. His memoirs contain detailed records of tree ferns, acacia trees, and even species of snakes and ferns unique to Taiwan.
He collected over 80 specimens of snakes and more than 50 types of ferns, sending some back to universities in Canada for identification. His scientific observations of Taiwan's natural environment earned him a place in the Western academic community of that era. For Mackay, studying the natural wonders of this island was, in itself, a tribute to God's creation.
📝 Curator's Note: Mackay's "slash" identity—pastor, physician, teacher, scientist—demonstrates the spirit of the 19th-century polymath and allowed his observations of Taiwan to transcend religion and reach scientific depth.
Oxford College and Chang Tsung-ming: The Courage to Break Barriers
In 1882, using donations from fellow residents in his home county of Oxford, Mackay founded "Oxford College" (locally known as Niuyin Xuetang) in Tamsui. This was not only Taiwan's first modernized Western-style school, but its curriculum also covered scientific knowledge such as geography, astronomy, anatomy, and geology.
Even more revolutionary was that in 1884, he and his wife, Chang Tsung-ming (Zhang Congming), co-founded the "Tamsui Girls' School." In an era where "a woman's lack of talent is a virtue," Mackay insisted on providing education for women, even across social classes and without tuition fees. His wife's own story is legendary: originally a child bride, after marrying Mackay, she not only learned English and the piano but also traveled the world with him, delivering speeches in English in Canada. She was the first Taiwanese woman to embark on a global journey and was a vital driving force behind the girls' school.
📝 Curently's Note: For Mackay to marry a Taiwanese woman and appoint her as a teacher at the girls' school was an extremely rare and progressive decision within the Western missionary circles of that time. This was not just an international marriage; it was his ultimate manifesto of "Taiwanization."
Rather Burn Out Than Rust Out
On June 2, 1901, Mackay passed away in Tamsui due to throat cancer at the age of 57. He lived out the motto he repeatedly mentioned in his diary: "Rather burn out, than rust out." He chose not to be buried in the Western cemetery in Tamsui, but instead requested burial within the grounds of the school in Tamsui, to remain eternally with his Taiwanese followers.
Before his death, he left a poem titled My Heart's Beloved Taiwan, expressing his deep attachment to the island:
"Oh, my heart's beloved Taiwan! I dedicate my life to you. Oh, my heart's beloved Taiwan! It is there that I found my joy."
Mackay's story is a moving chapter of how a stranger, through understanding, respect, and devotion, eventually became part of the very lifeblood of this island. Today, as we walk the streets of Tamsui, looking at the red-brick Oxford College or entering Mackay Memorial Hospital, we can still feel that warmth of life that continues to burn.
References / Sources
- Mackay Digital Museum - Biography of Mackay
- National Center for Traditional Arts - Dr. Mackay and Mrs. Chang Tsung-ming
- Presbyterian Church in Taiwan History Network - Rev. George Leslie Mackay
- Tamsui Wiki - Mackay
- George Leslie Mackay, From Far Formosa: The Island, its People and Missions, 1895.
- Environmental Information Center - Missing Pieces of Memory: Mackay and Taiwan's Natural History
- Presbyterian Church in Taiwan Gazette - Pearl of the Yilan Plain: Mackay's Missionary Crown
- Wu Yung-hua, Taiwan Plant Exploration, Morning Star Publishing, 1999.