Alexandre Yersin - the great doctor and his 50-year "love affair" with Vietnam.

"...life is not life if you don't go out and explore."

Alexandre Yersin, whose full name was Alexandre Émile Jean Yersin, was born on September 22, 1863, in Switzerland. He was the youngest of three children in a Protestant family. At the age of 25, after receiving his doctorate in medicine, Yersin applied for French citizenship, as at that time only citizens of the French Republic were allowed to practice medicine. During his medical studies in France and Germany, Yersin read news, learned about expeditions, and examined maps of Indochina. These images and stories ignited his passion for exploration. He chose David Livingstone, a Scottish missionary and explorer, as his role model.

Yersin caught the attention of the genius Louis Pasteur and was hired to work at the prestigious Pasteur Institute in Paris. But his adventurous spirit led him to insist on resigning to become a sailor on ocean-going ships, "despite having never been to sea before."

Yersin wrote to his mother: "I wouldn't be sad to leave Paris because I'm fed up with theater, the upper class disgusts me, and what's the point of life if I don't travel?" At the age of 27, Yersin left Paris for Indochina.

Abandoning a promising future at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, Yersin chose a nomadic path at sea, navigating treacherous mountain ranges along the Truong Son Mountains, and living in ethnic minority villages to satisfy his passion for exploration, even though he nearly lost his life at times.

On each of his expeditions and returns to France, he was invited to dinner by Louis Pasteur and given a report. Pasteur urged him to do whatever he could to the best of his ability, so as to "gain worldwide fame and help humanity." Obeying his mentor, Yersin packed his belongings and sailed thousands of nautical miles, braving unpredictable storms.

Upon arriving in Vietnam, he worked as a doctor on ships traveling between Saigon, Manila, and Hai Phong. Prior to that, in 1902, the Governor-General of Indochina, Paul Doumer, requested Yersin to go to Hanoi and establish the Indochina School of Medicine and Pharmacy (the predecessor of Hanoi Medical University). In weekly letters Yersin wrote to his mother from Vietnam to Switzerland, he recounted that he taught zoology, physics, and other subjects himself because the school lacked sufficient lecturers at the time.

But Hanoi could only keep him there for two years. He returned to Nha Trang, embarking on a series of scientific and exploratory journeys throughout the mountains and forests of Indochina. He lived a life full of expeditions and achievements. Yersin traveled extensively, exploring much; his footprints could be found in almost every corner of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. High mountains, deep valleys, wild animals, diseases... none of these ever discouraged him.

Power, money, and science

Alexandre Yersin is known worldwide as a renowned explorer, scientist, bacteriologist, and physician, but in Vietnam and Indochina, he was also a colonial official. Yersin was wealthy and enjoyed a life of luxury, but when necessary, he was always ready to sacrifice that luxury for the people and for science.

Alexandre Yersin's preferred mode of transportation was the bicycle. However, in fact, as early as 1910, he had wanted to acquire an airplane. He had to abandon this idea simply because Indochina lacked an airport.

As an explorer and pioneer in new fields, in 1932, when the first French airline flight connecting Saigon and Paris opened, Yersin used an airplane for travel. In March 1940, at the age of 77, he flew back to France to attend the annual meeting of the Pasteur Institute in Paris. It was a very arduous journey. On May 30, 1940, the last plane took him back to Vietnam, before the German army entered Paris.

In 1943, due to weak lungs, he used a rickshaw. When people think of Yersin, they picture a humble old man dressed simply, riding an old bicycle, forgetting that Alexandre Yersin had annoyed government officials at the time with his state-of-the-art cars.

While the French Resident in Nha Trang did not yet own a car, Yersin ordered a five-horsepower Serpollet, a Clément car, and a motorboat from France. When he needed money for research projects or to help the poor, he sold the cars and used bicycles again. During expeditions, he used horses, elephants, or walked instead of hammocks or palanquins like French or Vietnamese officials usually used when traveling on official business.

Yersin became a millionaire by growing rubber for sale to Michelin tires and was a major shareholder in HSBC bank. He once said, "I have to make money in a different way; I can't possibly accept money from patients." All of his profits remain to this day, secretly and regularly transferred to a charity and a scientific research fund.

Despite his wealth, Yersin preferred living among the poor fishermen in Nha Trang. In 1895, he bought an abandoned two-story bunker near Con Hamlet and the Cai River estuary to use as his private residence. According to the Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi, Volume 1, on Khanh Hoa, it was a very old border guard post. The fishermen of Con Hamlet often called this building "Mr. Tu's Mansion" - at that time, his official rank was Quan 4, later it became Quan 5.

Lầu Ông Tư – the bunker, each side measuring approximately 7.5 meters, which has now become a guesthouse for the Ministry of Public Security – became Dr. Yersin's favorite spot for sightseeing. Each floor of the house had a wide corridor surrounding it, allowing one to walk along it to observe the outside. Yersin arranged the ground floor as a dining room, the first floor as a study, and the second floor as a bedroom. Later, he added a circular structure on the roof to mount a telescope.

50 years of dedication and deep affection for Vietnam.

In June 1893, Yersin led an expedition along the Saigon-Di Linh route to study the lives of ethnic minorities, resources, and land potential. During this trip, Yersin discovered the Lang Biang region, which later became an ideal resort for Europeans, and is now Da Lat. Yersin wrote in the Indochina newspaper: “June 21, 1893: I was deeply moved when, after emerging from the pine forest, I came face to face a vast, undulating, wild plateau, devoid of trees, resembling a sea violently stirred by a series of undulating blue waves. The Lang Biang mountain range stood majestically on the northwestern horizon of the plateau, adding to the landscape's grandeur.”

Thus, with his grand vision, Yersin contributed to urban planning projects throughout Vietnam. He explored and developed Sapa, Da Lat, Ba Na Hills... into tourist resorts; he participated in urban planning for the central areas of Saigon, Hanoi, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hai Phong, etc.

Dr. Alexandre Yersin was also instrumental in bringing rubber trees, tomatoes, carrots, Western flowers from Da Lat, coffee, cashew nuts, and pepper to Vietnam – seeds that our country now exports, bringing in billions of dollars. He also raised sheep and grew grapes in Phan Rang; raised ostriches in Ninh Hoa, and experimented with large-scale coffee cultivation in Lam Dong, Dak Lak, and Pleiku.

Trusted by the French government at the time, he consistently requested the construction of numerous schools in the provinces of Vietnam and proposed investment for the construction of the North-South railway line from Hanoi to Saigon. He also designed and upgraded National Highway 1A – a tiny dirt road only 2-3 meters wide dating back to the Nguyen Dynasty – to have stone embankments, asphalt paving, and widening so that cars could travel on it. He also advised Governor-General Doumer on the construction of the Phan Rang-Da Lat railway line. The meteorological stations from Sapa to Mau Son and Bach Ma, and the lighthouses offshore that we often say were "built by the French," were all located in his own hands. He did everything he could think of for the Vietnamese people.

In the field of medicine, Yersin quietly dedicated his entire life to world science in general and to preventive medicine in Vietnam in particular. He laid the foundation for the establishment of the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang and the system of Pasteur Institutes in Indochina, bringing immense effectiveness in disease prevention and control for the Indochina and Asian regions.

Dr. Alexandre Yersin's affection for the Vietnamese people was sincere and unpretentious. Once, some children came to his house to watch a movie and messed up his precious flower pots. His servants were about to scold them, but he said, "Don't scold the children; they'll be scared if you raise your voice." Another time, while driving his car, a civilian carelessly crashed into his vehicle and was injured. He immediately got out to help them bandage their wounds, apologized, and resolutely returned the car to the government, choosing to ride a bicycle instead. He reasoned, "The people here are not yet accustomed to the laws, so they travel carelessly. If I have a collision while riding a bicycle, it won't cause them any harm."

Fishermen often got drunk, argued, quarreled, cursed, and even fought. Yersin quietly took out his camera and recorded these unpleasant incidents. Afterwards, he invited the villagers of Con Hamlet to watch the film, asking them if they liked it or if it was beautiful. Everyone was ashamed. Thanks to this, the village of Con Hamlet at that time was almost free from drunkenness and fighting.

While many Vietnamese intellectuals went to France to enjoy the civilization available there, he was like a fish swimming against the current. He said, "I will always be a French citizen, but I love Vietnam and will dedicate my life and my existence to them."

In his will, he wrote, "I wish to be buried in Suoi Dau, in a very small grave, lying face down with my head facing the sea. Mr. Bui Quang Phuong (my long-time colleague) must not allow anyone to take my remains to another country. I bequeath all my assets to the Pasteur Institute and my long-time colleagues who have worked with me."

His funeral in 1943 was the largest in Vietnam at the time. In his final moments, he asked his housekeeper to help him to the window, where he looked out at the sea and breathed his last. Upon hearing of his death, the people of Nha Trang abandoned their work to attend to the funeral arrangements. Ships at sea rushed to dock at Con village, halting all fishing activities for several days. The women fish vendors abandoned their daily earnings, their familiar conical hats, and donned white mourning scarves as they took to the streets to bid him farewell.

Commemorating the 79th anniversary of the death of Dr. Alexandre Yersin.

On March 1, 2022, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), in collaboration with several embassies, research institutes, and universities in Vietnam, introduced the documentary film "The Extraordinary Life of Alexandre Yersin (1863-1943)". The film is not only a commemorative gift marking the 79th anniversary of the death of this renowned physician who dedicated 50 years to Vietnam, but also aims to inspire young people – especially those working in medical research and development – ​​to apply the One Health approach to address zoonotic diseases, particularly in the context of emerging diseases like the current Covid-19 pandemic.

The documentary film by director Stéphane Kleeb, produced by Vitascope Independent Film & Video Productions GmbH, highlights the outstanding achievements of Dr. Yersin's career in Vietnam, discussing some lessons learned from his interdisciplinary research and his work serving the local community.

On Saturday evening, March 5th, Midnight Talks #29 also featured a talk on the topic: “Alexandre Yersin - Life, Legacy, and Imprint in Vietnam,” to explore the reasons why a talented doctor with a bright future like Alexandre Yersin chose to dedicate 50 years of his life to Vietnam; thereby gaining a better understanding of his contributions and the mark he left here during that time.

Additional information

Watch the documentary "The Extraordinary Life of Alexandre Yersin" atThis

Details about the talk show "Alexandre Yersin - Life, Legacy and Impact in Vietnam" can be found atThis

An overview - Photo: Internet