(VNF) - Khanh Hoa Province and the Alexandre Yersin Admirers’ Association organised a solemn flower and incense-offering ceremony on March 1^st to mark the 74^th death anniversary of the Swiss-French doctor Alexandre Yersin.

Attendees at the event included representatives from the local authorities, students of Yersin Nha Trang Secondary School, A. Yersin Secondary School (Suoi Cat Commune), and kinder garden, schools, university named after Dr. Yersin in Khanh Hoa, Da Lat as well as local people.

Many local and international people and organisations presented flowers at the Dr. Yersin’s last resting place.

The ceremony took place at Dr. Yersin’s altar at Yasaka-Saigon-Nhatrang Hotel then moved to Yersin Bust, inside Yersin Park by the side of Nha Trang Beach, and his grave in Cam Lam District's Suoi Cat Commune.

Located more than 1,500m above sea level at Hon Ba Mountain, the grave complex includes a shrine dedicated to the doctor.

Dr. Alexandre Yersin was born in Switzerland in 1863. At 20, he started studying medicine and received French citizenship four years later. He arrived in the coastal city of Nha Trang in 1891 and dedicated the rest of his life to his laboratory there until he passed away in 1943.

He founded the Nha Trang Pasteur Institute in 1895.

Apart from being a fully-fledged vaccination and hygiene research institute, the Pasteur Institute also includes a museum dedicated to the life and work of its founding director.

The institute had a profound effect on medical care in Viet Nam during the early years of the twentieth century.

Local authorities, people and tourists offered flowers and respect in Yersin Bust inside Yersin Park by the side of Nha Trang Beach.

Dr. Yersin was the founder and the first dean of Dong Duong pharmacy school, the predecessor of the present Hanoi Medical University and the Hanoi University of Pharmacy. He was also the founder and head of the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang.

For his great contribution to the Vietnamese health sector, Yersin is well remembered in the country, where he was affectionately called “Ong Nam” (“Mr. Fifth“) by the people.

After the country achieved independence, streets named in his honour kept their designation and his tomb was graced by a pagoda where rites are still performed.

Bust of Dr. Alexandre Yersin by Nha Trang Bay.

His house in Nha Trang is now the Yersin Museum, where visitors can learn about his work. He also founded the resort city Da Lat, discovered a plague-causing bacterium and researched agricultural methods and meteorological forecasting, all to the great benefit of the Vietnamese.

The Vietnam’s government decicied to posthumously confer the “Honourary citizen of Vietnam” title on doctor Alexandre Yersin in 2013./.

Translated by Minh Phuong