Masked Hero
Dr Shan Woo Liu, Kaili Liu Gormley and Lisa Wee
mit Kids Press


The co-authors of this book – a mother and daughter – both descendants of their subject, tell the story of Wu Lien-teh. Born in 1879, he grew up in what was then Malaya in a happy home with his parents and ten siblings. Wanting to become a doctor, the boy studied hard both at home and school, eventually winning a scholarship to the University of Cambridge where he studied medicine.


Following medical training, came post graduate research in Great Britain and other European countries. On returning to his homeland he had trouble finding an official post due to racial discrimination, however he was undeterred, studied further in Kuala Lumpur, married and opened a medical practice. He then moved to China to lead a new medical college. However in 1910, an awful disease struck Northeast China, killing large numbers of people. Lien-teh agreed to leave his family and travel north to the city of Harbin, near the Russian border, on a rescue mission.


His observations led him to realise that the deadly disease was being spread by a bacterial germ, transmitted when people coughed.
He needed to do something urgently, so, drawing on his creativity and ingenuity, Lien-teh fashioned a new sort of multi-layered mask.

This met with resistance from racist fellow doctors but within months the epidemic was under control.
Lien-teh continued his work, setting up hospitals and medical colleges all over China and in 1935 he became the first person of Chinese descent to be nominated for a Nobel Prize. His innovations were even crucial in the fight against COVID-19 when masks became part of the lives of us all.
‘When we wear a mask to stop a disease, we are all heroes – just like Wu Lien-teh!’ conclude the authors.


Neatly describing the medical and racist issues Lien-teh faced, as well as drawing parallels between the past and recent times, these authors pay tribute to an amazing person who still hasn’t really received all the credit he deserves. Stylised illustrations by Lisa Wee help bring him to life on the page and the back matter includes some black and white photos.


An inspiring pictorial STEM biography to add to classroom collections.