Dr. MacKay landed in Huwey (or Hoo-bue) on March 9th, 1872, and began free treatments at once. His first surgery was performed as early as June, patient beds were provided with nursing care. Patients increased by the day due to the effectiveness of western medication as well as Dr. MacKay’s effort; in the first year alone, 1,023 patients received treatment. In response to the demand, Dr. MacKay rented a resident housing the next year and Huwey Hospital opened its doors in May, 1873.

Dr. MacKay’s medical services in Tamsui were chiefly funded by foreign businesses and some from local donations. In 1879, Dr. MacKay received a sum of US 2,500 dollar donation from an American widow of Captain MacKay in memory of her late husband. The money was used in relocating and building the Huwey MacKay Hospital we see today. The new hospital opened its doors on September 14th, 1879, and was named as Huwey MacKay Hospital in honor of Mr. and Mrs. MacKay’s benevolence. The Huwey MacKay Hospital was a frontier in western medicine; since its early days, it had medical record management, pathology research, and preservation of medical literatures.

August 5th, 1884, Sino-French War broke out. Dr. MacKay received and treated wounded soldiers at the Huwey MacKay Hospital, for this, he was awarded recognition by General Mingchuan LIU of the Qing Imperial Court. In 1901, Huwey MacKay Hospital closed its doors shortly after Dr. MacKay’s death on June 2nd, until 1906, when Dr. and Rev. James Y. Ferguson of the Canada Presbyterian Church reopened its doors. In 1912, Dr. Ferguson relocated MacKay Huwey Hospital to the current location on Zhongshan North Road and renamed it as MacKay Memorial Hospital in honor of Dr. MacKay.

Huwey MacKay Hospital was designed by Dr. MacKay and is preserved to this day in its original form. The building was designed according to traditional simple Minnan (culture of South Fujian Province, China) housing yet is decorated with western windows and doors. Today, the building displays Dr. MacKay’s original furnishings including his: operation table, fireplace, door bell, harmonium, western dining table, iron bed and various medical containers.

Since its remodeling by the Tamsui Presbyterian Church, the Huwey MacKay Hospital now serves as a museum with free guided tours (upon request). Should one wish to take a break, light foods and refreshments are available at the museum café. Stop by and enjoy a cup of coffee with our handmade MacKay Cookies! Not available elsewhere!