The medical faculty of The University of Hong Kong began receiving body donations in the 1970s. Back then, body donation was not common, and anatomy teaching and learning were mostly conducted on unclaimed bodies. But as the demand for Great Body Teachers increased due to the increasing need for medical education, the medical faculty became very active in promoting the Body Donation Programme so that interested citizens could donate their bodies to be used for educational and medical research purposes after they passed away. The Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine also designated 3 March as the University's Body Donation Day. In Chinese, the pronunciation of this date resembles that of an old adage "san-san-bu-jin" which highlights the continuous and everlasting quality of life after life. Its aim is to promote the spirit of overcoming the presumed limitations of death, and to encourage the passing on of knowledge.
