The Analysis of Chinese Philanthropic Culture Patterns and the Response to Historical Transformation: A Review of Chinese Philanthropy: History and Culture

Chinese Philanthropy: History and Culture, as the first textbook to introduce Chinese philanthropy in China, extracts six basic patterns from the phenomenon of Chinese philanthropy. They are: clan philanthropy, religious philanthropy, local philanthropy, national philanthropy, overseas Chinese philanthropy, and civic philanthropy. This paper reviews the previous historical studies on Chinese philanthropy, and tries to outline the trajectory of the evolution of early modern Chinese philanthropy by integrating the specific time and practice of philanthropic patterns discussed in the book. Since the end of Ming Dynasty, the subjects of "almsdeed" in local society have become increasingly diversified. Besides local scholars, businessmen, and the clan power behind them, some other communities such as merchants, comprador, and overseas Chinese also joined. With the expansion of this subject, the forms of the philanthropic practice also changed. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the accumulation of ideas and practices since the end of the Ming Dynasty was reinterpreted and interpreted, thus becoming part of the ideological resources of "citizens' public welfare". Meanwhile, various mechanisms of clan charity gradually expanded clan boundaries, increasingly embedded with local affairs and even the "public welfare" related to national interests. They are integrated into the initial exploration and active practice of modern national transformation, and respond to the issues of historical "transformation" of Chinese philanthropic history.