From Canadian Surgeon to Chinese Martyr: Dr. Norman Bethune and the Making of a Medical Folk Hero.

This article examines the contrasting public memories of Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune, highlighting his status as a revered communist icon in China versus his relatively limited recognition in Canada. Bethune volunteered in China in 1938 to provide frontline medical care to the Chinese Communist Party's Eighth Route Army during the war against Japan, where he died in 1939 from sepsis. Chinese Communist Party propaganda, especially during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), transformed Bethune into a symbol of internationalism, selflessness, and revolutionary devotion, largely through Mao Zedong's eulogy and widespread educational campaigns. While Bethune's legacy in China became deeply embedded in political education and cultural memory, his story in Canada remains more confined to historical biography and diplomatic symbolism. The article situates Bethune's evolving legacy within broader frameworks of memory studies and political mythmaking in twentieth-century China.