The influence of foreign involvement in Taiwan can be seen in the works of George Leslie MacKay, a Canadian missionary venerated in Taiwan for his good work in the fields of religion, education, and medicine. MacKay was born in Oxford, Ontario, of a Scottish immigrant family in 1844. He came to Taiwan in 1871 as a member of the Canadian Missionary Society. He worked first in Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, which at that time already had a relatively well-developed Presbyterian Church organization. After learning elementary Taiwanese, he moved north to Tamsui in 1872 where he preached the gospel to the local inhabitants. Although there was considerable resistance to his efforts, he gathered a sufficient number of disciples to establish the Tamsui Church , northern Taiwan's first church. MacKay also worked to improve education and health among the local population. He established a number of important institutions that are still in existence today. These include the MacKay Hospital and the Tamsui Girl's School ; the first school for girls in Taiwan).
In 1878, MacKay married a local woman and settled in Taiwan, which was to be his home for the rest of his life. MacKay died in Taiwan in June 1901. He was buried in the foreigner's cemetery, but in order to indicate his special status as an honorary Taiwanese, his grave is separated from the main body of the cemetery by a wall. The gravesite has been preserved as a historical site. A number of his family and close disciples are buried in the same area. MacKay's grave can be picked out by its larger size and its distinctive candlestick design. Octagond Tower combines Byzantine architectural elements with a Chinese pagoda in a most unusual structure. It is constructed primarily of local materials and its alternate layers of red and white brickwork make it a distinctive landmark. It is also the symbol of the Dankang High School. The Tamsui Girl's School was built in 1883 under MacKay's direction. A large-scale reconstru
