Evolution of the social relief system in late Qing and its impacts

ABSTRACT The Chinese social relief system, first established in the eighteenth century, had already faced enormous pressure during the late Qing period. Impacted by the West and galvanized by China’s domestic social transformation, however, the Chinese social relief system embarked on some new development unseen before, including diversified famine relief mechanisms, socialization of famine relief granaries, and the development of inclusive philanthropy. The above development is a testament to the fact that the social relief system of late Qing gradually moved away from the old, state-dominated model and became an integral part of the social transformation in modern China.