Edward Bliss and his wife May Bortz in their advanced age.[Photo provided to China Daily]

He realized that learning the Chinese language was necessary to work in China, and hired a Chinese teacher as soon as he arrived in Shaowu. He learned not only standard Chinese but the Shaowu dialect as well.

Soon he was able to greet patients in broken Shaowu dialect and enquire about their ailment.

Back in the 1890s, people in the mountainous area of northern Fujian, in most regions of China for that matter, had little knowledge about Western medicine. To convince people that it is a modern form of medical treatment, Bliss had to patiently explain a lot of things to them. He had to use his special skills and persuasive power to convince the locals of the effectiveness of Western medicine, in order to save people's lives.

Two months after Bliss arrived in Shaowu, a woman fell seriously ill following a difficult labor. Bliss had to perform a surgery to save the woman's life. When he walked out of the house after packing up his medical instruments and medicines, he found some local people bowing to thank him.

A few days later, Bliss rode a mule up a mountain for several hours to help a pregnant woman with a difficult labor. The woman's father, an old man in his seventies, was deeply moved, and gifted a big fat duck to Bliss three weeks later.

"In the villages of Shaowu, it (the big fat duck) was a very valuable asset and a sincere present," said Cai Youqun, former deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Shaowu Municipal People's Congress and an expert in Shaowu's history.

"Dr Bliss was not just an expert in delivering babies. He had his own methodology in treating people suffering from diseases such as malaria," Cai told the Fujian Daily. In this way, he built his career and reputation, and convinced the local residents of the effectiveness of Western medicine.

As a result, many people from the neighboring counties and villages traveled on foot to Shaowu to avail of Bliss's services, with some coming from as far as Lichuan in the adjacent Jiangxi province after crossing several mountains on the way.