Bo Jia

Bo Jia (1804-1889), whose original name was Peter Parker, was an American missionary of Christianity. He was the first Christian missionary doctor that came to China.

He was born in a Christian family in Massachusetts and graduated from Yale University in 1831. After that he entered a seminary to study theology. In 1834 he got the doctor's degree and also the priest qualification. He went to Guangzhou in the same year. Since he was an ophthalmologist he mainly missionized through providing treatments for patients.

After the Opium War, he began to take part in many diplomatic activities. In 1847 he became the deputy of the United States representative office in China. In 1857, he finished his missionary work and went back to the United States.