When Chinese arrived in Cuba in the mid-1800’s to work as indentured laborers in the sugarcane fields, they brought centuries of knowledge along with them. In fact, it was not just laborers who were recruited. There were also Chinese doctors who made the journey.
In 1852, the most famous of these Chinese doctors, Chang Pon Piang, arrived in Havana. The Cubans, having difficulty in pronouncing his name, began to refer to him as “Cham Bom Bian”. Perhaps in an effort to assimilate, Chang changed his name to Juan Chambombián.
His skillful use of medicinal herbs to cure the sick gained him such popularity that the phrase arose in Cuba, “Not even the Chinese doctor can save him”, in reference to persons suffering from an incurable disease.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and the use of herbs is still very much in use in Cuba and has not changed much over the years.
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