30-Second Overview: Lai He (1894–1943) was the most influential physician-writer of the Japanese colonial period. With one hand, he used a scalpel to treat the poor, earning him the titles "Mazu of Changhua" and "He-zai Xian"; with the other, he wielded a pen to pioneer Taiwan's vernacular literature and critique the injustices of colonial rule. His life encapsulates the struggle and dignity of the Taiwanese people under Japanese administration—most notably his altruistic practice of burning patients' debt notes every New Year's Eve, and his writings composed in prison, which remain models of medical ethics and humanistic spirit in Taiwan.
"The world does not permit power to exist; a warrior must fight for righteousness."1
On December 8, 1941, the day the Pearl Harbor incident erupted, a physician with a mustache wearing benshandan (traditional, lightweight local attire) was taken away by Japanese police in Changhua City without any stated reason. This was his second imprisonment. In prison, he used coarse paper to write his Prison Diary, a work filled with repression and profound reflection.
This physician was Lai He, but he is more widely known as the "Father of Taiwan New Literature."
The "Mazu of Changhua" in the Clinic: A Physician's Awakening from Chiayi to Xiamen
In 1914, after graduating from the Medical School of the Taiwan Governor-General's Office, Lai He interned in Taipei and served at the Taiwan Governor-General's Chiayi Hospital (the predecessor of the current Chiayi Hospital under the Ministry of Health and Welfare) between 1914 and 1915.[^2] In 1918, he traveled to Xiamen to serve as a physician at Boai Hospital on Gulangyu Island, where he experienced the intellectual currents of the May Fourth Movement and the social realities of China. After returning to Taiwan in 1919, he opened the "Lai He Medical Clinic" in Changhua.2
In a colonial era defined by rigid social hierarchies, Lai He chose to set aside Western suits in favor of wearing benshandan (local attire) for long periods. This was not merely a fashion choice, but a political statement—a refusal to conform to the colonial bureaucracy and a decision to stand with the common people.3
Local residents affectionately called him the "Mazu of Changhua," "He-zai Xian," or a "reincarnation of Hua Tuo." Most touching was his annual tradition before New Year's Eve: burning the medical bills of impoverished patients so they could "celebrate the New Year without debt." When a patient once rushed to the clinic on New Year's Eve to repay him, he laughed and said, "The debt note has already been burned; it is fine if you do not pay."4 Beside his clinic was the "Linbao Guan" (a shelter for the destitute), where he frequently invited old traveling bards to play the yueqin (moon lute) and transcribed folk songs such as "Song of Xinyou" (concerning the Dai Wansheng uprising), tightly integrating medical practice with cultural preservation.5
The Broken Scales: A Literary Roar Following the Erlin Incident
Lai He's literature was always closely intertwined with specific historical events. When the "Erlin Sugarcane Farmers Incident" broke out in 1925—where farmers resisting exploitation by a sugar company were suppressed by police—it inspired him to write his first modern poem, "Sacrifice Under Awakening."6 His work "A Pair of Scales," published in February 1926, serves as the definitive representation of this spirit of resistance.
The scales broken by the patrol officer in the story symbolize the violence of colonizers who manipulate law and power at will.7 In his postscript, Lai He mentioned that the work was deeply influenced by Anatole France's "Cragbe," but he transformed it into a local Taiwanese experience to demonstrate the "resistance of the weak."8
Furthermore, his long poem "Elegy of the Southern Land," published in April 1931 under the pseudonym "Andusen" in the Taiwan New People's Daily, is a vital work mourning the Wushe Incident and denouncing colonial violence.9
"Forward": Sobriety in Darkness and the Anxiety of Division
In 1927, the Taiwan Cultural Association faced severe internal division between left-wing and right-wing factions. As a director of the Association, Lai He was deeply concerned about this internal attrition. In his essay "Forward," he used an allegorical style to write:
"Even in this darkness, there is no possibility of not moving forward. We know not where our courage comes from, that allows us to march toward the unknown without fear."10
The story ends with two characters parting ways, symbolizing the divergence of intellectuals regarding lines of resistance. He called for unity to prevent the exhaustion of their limited strength.11 This concern was also reflected in his mentorship of younger writers; figures such as Yang Kui, Wang Shi-lang, Lu He-ruo, Wu Tuo-liu, and Yeh Shih-tao all received his guidance and care.12
Language and Identity: Mending Taiwanese in the Fault Lines
Having received a traditional Chinese scholarly education, Lai He navigated the space between "Taiwanese vernacular" and Chinese vernacular under the pressures of modern Western medical training and the colonial context. When creating, he often thought in Classical Chinese and drafted in Beijing dialect, but deliberately integrated Hokkien (Taiwanese) vocabulary—such as cheng-á, an, and khak-khui—to stay close to the daily language and lived experiences of the Taiwanese people.13
| Important Work | Publication Date | Core Themes and Historical Context |
|---|---|---|
| "Making a Fuss" (鬥鬧熱) | 1926.01 | Critique of feudal customs and waste; depiction of grassroots life |
| "A Pair of Scales" (一桿「稱仔」) | 1926.02 | Critique of legal violence; response to the Erlin Incident |
| "Mr. Snake" (蛇先生) | 1930.01 | Conflict between modern medicine and folk beliefs; social critique |
| "Elegy of the Southern Land" (南國哀歌) | 1931.04 | Mourning the Wushe Incident; a major protest poem of the colonial era |
| "The Story of a Just Litigant" (善訟的人的故事) | 1934.12 | Satire of the exploitation of the people by the colonial legal system |
The Warrior's Resonance: A Literary Totem in the Shrine of Martyrs
Lai He passed away from heart disease on January 31, 1943, at the age of 49 (50 by traditional reckoning). Born in 1894, the year Taiwan was ceded to Japan, and dying two years before Japan's defeat, his life witnessed half a century of colonial hardship. In his will, he humbly stated that his works "have little value; it is fine if they are burned."14
After the war, Lai He was enshrined in the Shrine of Martyrs in 1951, removed due to political reasons in 1958, and re-enshrined after being rehabilitated in 1984.15 Today, the "Lai He Poetry Wall" (composed of a hundred steel plates) at the foot of Bagua Mountain in Changhua is engraved with his works, and activities continue to honor his spirit every year on "Lai He Day."16
📝 Curator's Note: Lai He's story teaches us that the most powerful form of resistance is not a weapon, but compassion for humanity and an unquenchable desire for justice. His writings and his image in benshandan have become part of the DNA of Taiwan literature, providing future generations with the courage to move forward even in darkness.
References
- Lai He, "Ourself" (Wikisource Author Page) — A seven-character regulated poem; the line "The world does not permit power to exist; a warrior must fight for righteousness" comes from this poem. Original publication and year are uncertain: Wikisource lists it within the 1918–1943 period without a specific date; this note originally cited "Taiwan Minpao 1925," but that link does not support that year, removed on 2026-10-24 (issue #1897). For definitive dating, please consult the Complete Works of Lai He or the Lai He Cultural and Educational Foundation.↩
- Taiwan Memory — National Central Library — + Open Museum Lai He Collection — Records of his service at Boai Hospital on Gulangyu Island, Xiamen, in 1918↩
- Lai He Cultural and Educational Foundation Official Website — Records regarding the political statement made through his style of wearing benshandan.↩
- Lai He Cultural and Educational Foundation: Oral History of Burning Debt Notes — "Mazu of Changhua" and "He-zai Xian" burning the debt notes of poor patients every New Year's Eve.↩
- Lai He Cultural and Educational Foundation: Linbao Guan and Social Care — The "Linbao Guan" beside the clinic where old bards were invited to transcribe folk songs like "Song of Xinyou."↩
- Taiwan Sugar Digital Literature Museum: Erlin Incident and "Sacrifice Under Awakening" — The 1925 Erlin Sugarcane Farmers Incident inspired Lai He's first modern poem.↩
- Lai He — Wikipedia — Biographical data: 1894–1943, medical school graduation, internship at Chiayi Hospital, etc.↩
- Lai He, Postscript to "A Pair of Scales," 1926 — Lai He's own account of how Anatole France's "Cragbe" inspired this work.↩
- "Elegy of the Southern Land" — Wikisource — Published on 1931-04-25 and 1931-05-02 in Taiwan New People's Daily, a long poem mourning the Wushe Incident.↩
- Lai He, Essay "Forward," Taiwan Minpao 1928 — Uses allegory to express concern over the division of the Cultural Association, calling for unity to avoid internal attrition.↩
- Soka Gakkai Taiwan, "Lai He: An Active Humanist" — Literary critique column on Lai He: see original link for details.↩
- Yeh Shih-tao, A History of Taiwan Literature — Records of Mentorship — Records of Lai He mentoring younger writers such as Yang Kui, Wang Shi-lang, Lu He-ruo, Wu Tuo-liu, and Yeh Shih-tao.↩
- Research on Language Use in the Complete Works of Lai He — Edited by Lin Jui-ming et al. — Exploration of "Taiwanese vernacular" through the fusion of Classical Chinese, Beijing dialect, and Hokkien.↩
- Lin Jui-ming, Lai He and the Taiwan New Literature Movement (Avant-Garde Publishing) — A classic study on Lai He, including his humble remark in his will: "have little value; it is fine if they are burned."↩
- Shrine of Martyrs (Taiwan) — Wikipedia — Records of Lai He's enshrinement in 1951, removal due to politics in 1958, and rehabilitation/re-enshrinement in 1984.↩
- Changhua County Cultural Affairs Bureau: Bagua Mountain Literary Trail and Lai He Poetry Wall — A hundred steel plates engraved with Lai He's works, continuing his spirit every "Lai He Day."↩