Chinese And Foreign Perspectives On Linguistic And Cultural Interaction On The Gulangyu Joint Concession

Apart from the Shanghai International Settlement,the Gulangyu Joint Concession of Xiamen(1903-1945)was the only jointly administered foreign concession territory throughout the history of China.From the 1st Opium War until the end of World War Two,Gulangyu was one of the centers of Sino-Foreign linguistic and cultural interaction.Taking this special historical background into account,Gulangyu launched its application process for UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2016.The aim of this thesis is to discuss the role of Gulangyu in contemporary Sino-Foreign linguistic and cultural interaction,analyze what contributions both foreigners and Chinese made to it,as well as discuss its influence in the wider South China Sea region.During the last decades,a large number of Chinese and a smaller number of foreign language academic works has been published about Gulangyu,most of them focusing on British and American missionary activity,their geographical scope being limited to Gulangyu and Xiamen.One innovation of this thesis is that by using materials published in other languages than Chinese and English,it also discusses the role of other countries in the interaction process.Another innovation is that by analyzing the content of English,Japanese and Dutch-language Hokkien dictionaries published on Taiwan and in Southeast Asia during this time period,it points out the influence the Gulangyu interaction process had around the South China Sea region.The conclusion of this thesis is divided into three main parts,the first one summarizing the contribution made by foreigners(British and American Protestant missionaries,Spanish Catholic missionaries and nationals of other countries),the second one summarizing the contribution made by Chinese(locals and returning overseas Chinese from Southeast Asia)and the third one containing a comparative analysis between the two sides.The main conclusion of the thesis is that the principal motivation behind foreign activity was the spread of Christianity,the creation and spread of the Hokkien Romanization(Peh-oe-ji)being seen as the most important tool for spreading it among the local population.The activity of Chinese intellectuals can be understood in the context of patriotism and reform movements of the late 19th and early 20th century,especially the language and script reform movement.