Autobiography of a Chinese Woman

Buwei Yang Chao (1889-1981) was a Chinese-American physician and writer. She was one of the first women to practice Western medicine in China.

Assisted by her husband (linguist Yuenren Chao), she wrote this autobiography in 1947. A truly unique individual, especially considering the time/place of her birth and her subsequent life events, this is an uplifting story of accomplishment and progress in the early part of the 20th century.



Buwei Yang Chao challenged the traditions and limits of Chinese society by pursuing higher education and becoming a physician, opening a Western medicine hospital in China. She (and her family) survived the Chinese revolution and as refugees helped many others escape persecution.

Challenging tradition even more so by removing herself from an arranged marriage and marrying her husband Yuenren, she managed to raise a family, travel extensively, and become a successful writer.



Buwei with the help of her daughter Rulan published the book, How to Cook and Eat in Chinese in 1945 with subsequent editions up till 1968.

Autobiography of a Chinese Woman is an exciting and thoughtful memoir that covers an historically significant time period from the view of a unique individual.