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History Seminar: The Social Development of Hong Kong under

British rule -Charities in Hong Kong: changing

time, changing practices

Dr. Elizabeth Sinn

9 March 2010

History/PSHE/CDI

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Charities in Hong Kong:Changing Times,Changing Practices

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Who would you go to if you’re poor, sick and disabled today?

Who would you have gone to if you were poor, sick and disabled in the 19th century?

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Charity -- Who gives what to whom and why.

• What are the charity activities? Who are the providers? Who are the recipients? Why are such activities necessary?

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Development of Charities in Hong Kong

Three main periods:

1841 to 19451945 to 19671967/68 onwards

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1. Chinese (particularistic) voluntary associations

2. Chinese (general) voluntary associations3. Christian missionaries and other

religious institutions

4. Non-Chinese non-Christian voluntary associations

5. The government

Five main groups of welfare providers playing different roles over time

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1841-1949

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1841-1949

Hong Kong Society

1.Frontier town, single, male-dominated and transient population

2. Poor, sick, dying, unemployed, kidnapped and victims of other misfortunes could not rely on government help

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1841-1945

Main Givers

1. Chinese (particularistic) voluntary associations, e.g. native place organizations (tongxianghui 同鄉會 ), guilds

2. Chinese (non particularistic) voluntary associations e.g. Tung Wah Hospital, Po Leung Kuk, Lok Sin Tong

3. Christian missionaries

4. Non-Chinese voluntary associations – Parsee Zoroastrian Charity Trust, Jewish Trust, Welfare League

5. The government: laissez faire policy, cheap and small government, not to attract more destitute people to HK.

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1841-1949

Christian missionaries

1. education2. hospitals (St Francis, Matilda,

Nethersole, Canossa)3. orphanages4. blind5. reformatory for boys6. spiritual needs

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Charity Work

Guilds and native place associations (tongxianghui 同鄉會）

1. provide shelter for unemployed

2. relief for sick

3. burials and repatriating bones.

1841-1945

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1841-1945

Non-particularistic Chinese voluntary associations

Tung Wah Hospital

a. history – emergence from I-tsz 義祠 b. medical and non-medical work

c. Social impact

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Tung Wah HospitalMedical Work – Chinese medicine for ChineseNon-medical work –

local for Chinese emigrants, for China

1841-1945

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1841-1945

Tung Wah Hospital

Non-medical work -- Local i) free schoolii) shelter for poor and

repatriation of sick and pooriii) shelter for rescued women

and children and repatriation

iv) free coffins and burial services

Charity for the living, charity for the dead

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1841-1945

Tung Wah Hospital

Non-medical work for Chinese emigrants, i) rescue victims of emigration abuses,

kidnappingii) repatriating women sold overseasiii) took care of sick and poor

returned emigrants

iv) putting coffins on ships – taiping guan, gold mountain guan 金山棺

v) repatriation of emigrants’ bones and coffins (yizhuang 義庒 )

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1841-1945

Tung Wah HospitalNon-medical work for China

i) Raising funds for famine, floods, drought in China

ii) Organizing relief

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Tung Wah HospitalIdeological basis

i) Confucian ii ） Buddhist

Some phrases, terminologies used

盛德 天下事可以饜眾生而行久遠普濟眾生 廣福慈航

1841-1945

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1841-1945

Tung Wah Hospital – social and political significance

1 Relationship between Tung Wah Hospital and Hong Kong government: Cheap way to solve social problems—social stability2. Elite status of merchants in a colonial society (no gentry) British Government awarded honours to encourage Chinese donation and participation – indirect rule3. Legitimacy of community leadership based on providing community needs according to Chinese principles.4. Composition of Tung Wah Board deeply embedded in Hong Kong’s economic structure (also financial support)

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1841-1949

Po Leung KukProtection of women and girlsKidnapped womenmuitsai 妹仔 , prostitutes and concubines

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1949-1967

1949-1967

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Government’s new role: i) Welfare Office 1948 (to coordinate efforts of

different voluntary agents) and Welfare Department 1958

ii) Resettlement and housingiii) Supported “kaifong associations” that

provided schools, education and other community movements.

iv) Social work training – beginnings of professional social work [course in social work began at HKU 1950]

1945-1967

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• Particularistic Chinese volunteer associations:

Change of focus for native place associations –

more localized, especially schools (schools encouraged by government subsidies) and clinics

1945-1967

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1945-1967

Tung Wah Hospital

1.Hospital and subsidized schools, etc.

1.More new services, e.g. convalescent home, for mentally handicapped children.

3. Western medicine became mainstream.

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1945-1967

Po Leung Kuk

1. No longer involved with muitsai

2. More on educating than “protecting”-- schools

3. Child care

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Post 1967Post 1967

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Post --1967

Government1. Change in government policy –

need for community building: Hong Kong as home.

2. Scope of welfare widened – medicine, education, youth work, housing, leisure and culture

3. Expansion of Social Welfare Department

Public assistance: cash payment for poor and disabled and infirmed.

4. More subsidies for voluntary associations (NGOs) 5. Community Chest

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Post 1967

Charities -- TW, PLK, churches

1. Continued diversification:

e.g. rehabilitation, youth service

2. Work modified by greater government

participation

more affluent society

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Some Conclusions

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1841-1949

Charities:

• missionary-led and merchant-led, • transnational and status-conferring• little government involvement,

reflecting commercial, “bachelor” and mobile society

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1949-1967

Charities: more localized and rooted because of closing of China

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Post 1967

Government main welfare provider: Greater direct and indirect

participation of government in welfare provision--

effort at community building

Much wider scope of welfare: Reflecting more affluent society

Other channels of social advancement besides charities