The Nongovernmental Charities In The Period Of Republic Of China--Taking The Case Of Chengdu From 1920s To 1930s As An Example

The nongovermentacharties were much developed in the period of Republic of China, so did Chengdu. There were over 100 charities in Chengdu from 1920s to 1930s, ; ft most of which were non-governmental charities. CiHuiTang and Sino-West Combinatorial Charitable Insititution were represented two different types of charities. This artile mainly takes Chengdu for example, and takes the cases of CiHuiTang and Sino-West Combinatorial Charitable Insititution as examples, by exploring its philanthropic act, funds, charitable thought and the relation with the government, to bring to light the characteristies of charity in Republican China. Sino-West Combinatorial Charitable Insititution was organized by the missionaries and social public figures in Chengdu in 1921, which represented new-type charities .However , the predecessors of Ci Hui Tang were maily official insititutions in Qing Danasty , which were allocated for local gentry in succession since 1924. the Ci Hui Tang was of strong traditional nature. However, either the traditional Charity or modern one was in transitional period. With the social problem increasing and becoming seriously, both of them were short of relief funds, the ability of reliefwas very limited.The paper lays emphasis on two aspects. At first, It tries to exhibit the complexity nature of nongovernmental charities in the period of ROC. They were similar to the traditional charities on both idea and practice of charities. On the other hand, affected by the times, modern idea appeared and was applied to philanthropic act partly. At the same time, some Modern Charities kept some traditional factors inevitably. As a result, complex situation came into being, which was that traditionality and modernity interacted each other. It is difficult to judge the traditionality or modernity of charities from one side.The second, this article tries to reveal the relationship of the government with the nongovernmental charities. The latter assumed the major responsibility for social relief, most of which possessed independent legal status, at the same time, they were supervised and examined by the government and their action was limited to charitable relief. In late thirties, with the broadening of the war, the government intervened further in the affairs of charities, so nongovernmental charities gradually lost its independence.