Description

After the Opium Wars, several treaties were signed between the Qing government and Western powers, stating that missionaries could spread Christianity in China freely, and more importantly could purchase properties in China. Through these treaties, missionaries gained official tolerance and even protection. In reality, however, the treaties alone could not guarantee a smooth life for many missionaries. Focusing on Paris Foreign Missions in Guangzhou, this talk examines the contest between Catholic missionaries and the late Qing government over property ownership.

Hongyan Xiang obtained BA from Wuhan University of China, MA from National University of Singapore, and currently, she is a doctoral candidate (ABD) in the Department of History of Pennsylvania State University, under the tutelage of Professor Ronnie Hsia. Her dissertation focuses on Paris Foreign Missions (Missions Étrangères de Paris, short M.E.P.) in Guangzhou from 1860 to 1927, particularly on the economic and financial history. Her research interests include Chinese history from the late imperial time to early twentieth century, Christianity and indigenous beliefs in China, and Sino-Western interchanges in the late imperial times.