The Development of Echocardiography in China: The Pioneering Role of Xin-Fang Wang

Introduction

I cannot discuss the history of the development of echocardiography in China without describing the pioneering role of Xin-fang Wang (王新房) from Wuhan, China, who is the “father of modern echocardiography.”¹ Although Inge Edler from Sweden^2-5 and Harvey Feigenbaum from the United States⁶ were also oftentimes referred to as the fathers of echocardiography, both Edler⁷ and Feigenbaum⁸ recognized that the Chinese used cardiac ultrasonography in the very early years (Figure 1).