Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- DRY STATEMENTS
- PRELUDE: FIRST IMPRESSIONS
- CHAPTER I ON THE UPPER YANGTSE
- CHAPTER II A LAND JOURNEY
- CHAPTER III LIFE IN A CHINESE CITY
- CHAPTER IV HINDRANCES AND ANNOYANCES
- CHAPTER V CURRENT COIN IN CHINA
- CHAPTER VI FOOTBINDING
- CHAPTER VII ANTI-FOOTBINDING
- CHAPTER VIII THE POSITION OF WOMEN
- CHAPTER IX BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND MARRIAGES
- CHAPTER X CHINESE MORALS
- CHAPTER XI SUPERSTITIONS
- CHAPTER XII OUR MISSIONARIES
- CHAPTER XIII UP-COUNTRY SHOPPING AND UP-COUNTRY WAYS
- CHAPTER XIV SOLDIERS
- CHAPTER XV CHINESE STUDENTS
- CHAPTER XVI A FATHER'S ADVICE TO HIS SON
- CHAPTER XVII BUDDHIST MONASTERIES
- CHAPTER XVIII A CHINESE ORDINATION
- CHAPTER XIX THE SACRED MOUNTAIN OF OMI
- CHAPTER XX CHINESE SENTIMENT
- CHAPTER XXI A SUMMER TRIP TO CHINESE TIBET
- CHAPTER XXII ARTS AND INDUSTRIES
- CHAPTER XXIII A LITTLE PEKING PUG
- PRELUDE: PART I.—GETTING TO PEKING and PART II.—THE SIGHTS OF PEKING
- CHAPTER I THE CHINESE EMPEROR'S MAGNIFICENCE
- CHAPTER II THE EMPRESS, THE EMPEROR, AND THE AUDIENCE
- CHAPTER III SOLIDARITY, CO-OPERATION, AND IMPERIAL FEDERATION
- CHAPTER IV BEGINNINGS OF REFORM
- CHAPTER V THE COUP D'ÉTAT
CHAPTER X - CHINESE MORALS
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- DRY STATEMENTS
- PRELUDE: FIRST IMPRESSIONS
- CHAPTER I ON THE UPPER YANGTSE
- CHAPTER II A LAND JOURNEY
- CHAPTER III LIFE IN A CHINESE CITY
- CHAPTER IV HINDRANCES AND ANNOYANCES
- CHAPTER V CURRENT COIN IN CHINA
- CHAPTER VI FOOTBINDING
- CHAPTER VII ANTI-FOOTBINDING
- CHAPTER VIII THE POSITION OF WOMEN
- CHAPTER IX BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND MARRIAGES
- CHAPTER X CHINESE MORALS
- CHAPTER XI SUPERSTITIONS
- CHAPTER XII OUR MISSIONARIES
- CHAPTER XIII UP-COUNTRY SHOPPING AND UP-COUNTRY WAYS
- CHAPTER XIV SOLDIERS
- CHAPTER XV CHINESE STUDENTS
- CHAPTER XVI A FATHER'S ADVICE TO HIS SON
- CHAPTER XVII BUDDHIST MONASTERIES
- CHAPTER XVIII A CHINESE ORDINATION
- CHAPTER XIX THE SACRED MOUNTAIN OF OMI
- CHAPTER XX CHINESE SENTIMENT
- CHAPTER XXI A SUMMER TRIP TO CHINESE TIBET
- CHAPTER XXII ARTS AND INDUSTRIES
- CHAPTER XXIII A LITTLE PEKING PUG
- PRELUDE: PART I.—GETTING TO PEKING and PART II.—THE SIGHTS OF PEKING
- CHAPTER I THE CHINESE EMPEROR'S MAGNIFICENCE
- CHAPTER II THE EMPRESS, THE EMPEROR, AND THE AUDIENCE
- CHAPTER III SOLIDARITY, CO-OPERATION, AND IMPERIAL FEDERATION
- CHAPTER IV BEGINNINGS OF REFORM
- CHAPTER V THE COUP D'ÉTAT
Summary
Missionaries generally say that the Chinese are frightfully immoral. So do the Americans and Australians, excluding them as far as they can from their respective countries. But, brought up on the English saying that “Hypocrisy is the compliment vice pays to virtue,” I always think virtue must be in the ascendant in China for vice so to slink into corners and hide its head before it. There certainly is not the slightest outward appearance of vice in Chinese cities. And I have always understood that everywhere, except in the foreign settlements, where it is certainly not the case, very decided repressive measures are used. Shanghai, once the Model Settlement, is looked upon as a hotbed of corruption by Chinese fathers up-country, who say gravely they would not dare to send their sons there, whatever business advantages are offered, until their principles are quite firmly established. Up-country it is European morals that Chinese find as shocking as Australians find theirs. It is impossible for me to enter into details here; but there are certain things, alas! too customary among Europeans, which to every Chinaman are an abomination. It is well to bear this in mind, perhaps; and it is to be hoped that increased intercourse may lead Europeans to think disgraceful what Chinese already think so, and Chinese to be bound by the European code where, if anywhere, it is higher than their own, rather than, as so often occurs, to lead each nation to accept the other's lower ideas.
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- Intimate ChinaThe Chinese as I Have Seen Them, pp. 197 - 210Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1899