On Saturday, the Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services at California State University, Los Angeles celebrated its 2nd Annual Light of Regeneration Gala. The event, held at Cal State LA's Luckman Fine Arts Complex, was a combined celebration of the school's recent graduates, a commemoration to the incredible work Dr. Xu has done in the medical world, as well as a ceremonious exhibit of Chinese culture. "We, the National Rongxiang Xu Foundation, organized this event in order to teach students more about Chinese culture, and also to memorialize Dr. Xu, and pass on his spirit of treating people and saving so many lives," said Dr. Li Li, Chairman of the National Rongxiang Xu Foundation and wife of Dr. Xu.

The College of Health and Human Services, renamed in honor of Dr. Rongxiang Xu in 2016, is the only named college at Cal State LA, and the only college in the nation named after a Chinese doctor. Dr. Xu graduated from the Qingdao Medical College in China, and is best known for his creation of a therapy for burns that helped to restore the physiological structure and function of skin and other tissues, thereby dramatically reducing pain, illness, and death. Dr. Xu and his research team also revealed many new important fundamental principles for the regeneration of adult tissue and organs and translated these findings into a variety of topical therapies.

In his three decades of work, Dr. Xu's research has led to multiple U.S. patents and the growth of his multi-national company, MEBO International. His achievements in the fields of science and medicine have been acknowledged by U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George H. W. Bush, and the Chinese government honored him with a commemorative stamp with his image. Dr. Xu passed away in 2015.

The Light of Regeneration Gala welcomed hundreds of people from both the Cal State LA Community and the Los Angeles Chinese community as a whole. Special guests included Deputy Los Angeles Chinese Consulate General Yuanqiang Shi, as well as Chinese Consulate General Cultural Counselors Jin Gu and Jin Wang, Vice President for Student Life at Cal State LA Dr. Nancy Wada-McKee, and Chairman of the Reignwood Group, Chanchai Ruayrungruan.

A vast amount of diverse performances were spotlighted at the event, including an acrobatic contortion performance by Li Mengnan and Xu Chaofeng, an erhu (a two-stringed bowed musical instrument) performance by Chen Jun and his daughter Chen Yimiao, and traditional Chinese magic by Xiao Guisen. Also presented were sketch comedy with Cheng Ye and Hao Shasha, and mime, performed by twin brothers Liu Quanhe and Liu Quanli. The show also boasted a large amount of impressive vocal selections, from the likes of Wei Jiani, Peking Opera performers Zhao Baoxiu, Zhao Shucheng, and Hu Wenge, operatic singers Wang Chuanyue and Zhang Lili, and a rousing finale performance by Chinese sensation and icon Dong Wenhua.

"It has been my honor and my pleasure to be able to come here tonight for this performance," said opera singer Zhao Baoxiu, who cited Dr. Xu as an inspiration for Chinese people.

For more information about Dr. Xu, visit the National Rongxiang Xu Foundation website here.

*Chinese translation provided by Raven Yin

Kevin Xu, the founder of the National Rongxiang Xu Foundation, is an owner of the L.A. Weekly