THOMAS TORRANCE, CHINA AND THE QIANG PB

Thomas and Annie Torrance are known as the founders of the Torrance theological dynasty, but the life of Torrance is a remarkable story in itself – a missionary who worked for the Bible societies in China through wars and the start of the Communist era, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, an enemy of the regime whose contribution to historical research the Chinese Government would in 2016 honour in the Sichuan museum.

Through his letters and articles Thomas Torrance provides us with unique insights into the demise of the Qing dynasty, the turmoil of China’s Republican period, and the rise of Communism, introducing us to a broad array of characters from Republican generals to young left-wing firebrands, to orthodox and ‘modernist’ missionaries, to various ethnic groups of western Sichuan, and to his own young family, growing up in the heart of Chengdu. As his friendships develop among the Qiang people of western Sichuan, we are also given a window into Qiang culture of the early 20th century, and are taken on a journey back to the Han dynasty, when the Qiang people were scattered across Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, and Sichuan.

The author, Rachel Meakin, studied modern languages and worked in the Middle East in the hospitality industry and as a teacher before moving to China to teach English and study Chinese. Following a degree in Social Anthropology at SOAS, University of London, she taught English in western Sichuan and has carried out research into the early history of the Qiang people.

Product details
Author:Rachel Meakin
ISBN : 9781912052806
Dimensions:9'' x 6''
Pages: 451 pages