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Frontiers of History in China

ISSN 1673-3401

ISSN 1673-3525(Online)

CN 11-5740/K

Postal Subscription Code 80-980

Front. Hist. China    2020, Vol. 15 Issue (1) : 105-134    https://doi.org/10.3868/s020-009-020-0004-1
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Competing to Interpret “Foot Liberation”: Mrs. Archibald Little’s Anti-Footbinding Tour in Hong Kong, 1900
Shaofan An()
Department of History, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau S.A.R., China
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Abstract

Known as the wife of the famous British merchant Mr. Archibald John Little, Mrs. Archibald Little left many writings on local Chinese customs and cultures. However, more renowned is her consistent advocacy for Chinese women’s emancipation from foot binding, not only by establishing a “Natural Feet Society” in Shanghai, but also by giving numerous anti-footbinding speeches in Chinese cities. One particularly noticeable speech was given in Hong Kong in 1900. It received significant reactions from different social groups. Using Mrs. Little’s own memoir and Hong Kong media coverage, we may be able to reveal the intertwined discursive competition surrounding the anti-footbinding movement. Motivated by a sense of mission to “enlighten,” Mrs. Little was a self-aware “civilized” savior. However, local newspaper reports on her anti-footbinding tour reflected little about the clash of civilizations but their exaggerated concern on the national subjugation and genocide. These two interpretations joined a competition to explain the anti-footbinding movement in late Qing China.

Keywords anti-footbinding      Mrs. Archibald Little      Hong Kong     
Issue Date: 03 April 2020
 Cite this article:   
Shaofan An. Competing to Interpret “Foot Liberation”: Mrs. Archibald Little’s Anti-Footbinding Tour in Hong Kong, 1900[J]. Front. Hist. China, 2020, 15(1): 105-134.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fhc/EN/10.3868/s020-009-020-0004-1
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fhc/EN/Y2020/V15/I1/105
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