Research On The Branches Of Red Cross Society Of China In Modern Guangdong And Guangxi Region(1904-1949)

After the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in 1894,the International Red Cross Movement sprang up and spread in China,and it was integrated into the philanthropic venture and culture of the local area.After Russo-Japanese War broke out in 1904,the Red Cross Society of China was founded and it engaged itself in a series of humanitarian rescues including natural disasters,injured refugees and social welfare,becoming the largest and most influential social assistance group in modern China.After the establishment of the Red Cross Society of China,it was permitted to set up branch organizations in various places in order to facilitate the development of regional relief work.In modern times,branches in Guangdong and Guangxi region were first established in 1904 due to their superior strategic location.At that time,local people suffered from the frequent natural disasters and wars in the region.In the moment of violent turmoil in the society,the branches in the region followed the Red Cross Society of China in line with fraternity and sympathy for soldiers,to heal the wounded and rescue the dying,to go to the battlefield and the disaster area for ambulance work,and to carry out social medical and welfare services in peacetime.As international neutral humanitarian groups,the branches took their responsibilities and brought the gospel of life to people of Guangdong and Guangxi.The birth of the branches in modern Guangdong and Guangxi region was closely related to the economic,political and cultural development of the local region.After the establishment of the branches,they continued to improve the development of organization by a series of actions such as the administrative construction,the recruitment of members and membership fees,and the balance between income and expenditure.During the growth of these branches,a more scientific and democratic organization was set up,and sufficient funds were raised to solicit members to ensure the smooth operation of organization.In rescue work,all members of the branches in Guangdong and Guangxi region went to the disaster-stricken areas and tried to save the refugees and the victims during the disasters of the 1911 Revolution,the War of Protection,the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression,and natural disasters such as floods,windstorms,droughts,and other accidents.In peacetime,the branches provided free medical aid,public services such as social welfare and cultural activities to the public.They not only concerned about the safety of human life,but also the value of human thoughts.They publicized humanitarianism in the Guangdong and Guangxi region and attracted much attention in the charity cause of the local region.The branches of the Guangdong and Guangxi region,as civil society groups,were deeply influenced by the Red Cross Society of China and local governments with which they maintained good cooperative relations to better perform their duties.After their birth,the branches in the Guangdong and Guangxi region,as charity organizations which derived from the western world,promoted the development and modernization of philanthropic venture in the local region.They also eased social conflicts,assisted the government to assume certain social responsibilities to adapt to social changes in the modern Guangdong and Guangxi region.A review of the rise and fall of the Red Cross Movement in the past five decades in the Guangdong and Guangxi region enables the later generations to take history as a guide,which provides a useful reference for the modern development of philanthropy in the local region.