Tiuⁿ Chhang-Miâ (Minnie Mackay, 1860?–1925)
Discover the life and enduring influence of Tiun Chhang-miâ (1860?-1925), also known as Minnie Mackay, in the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church—key to understanding how Taiwan’s democratization came about and where it is heading.
Explore the overlooked life of Tiun Chhang-miâ, the Taiwanese woman behind the nineteenth century's most accomplished missionary, George Leslie Mackay.
Tiun Chhang-miâ (1860?-1925), a Fujian-Taiwanese girl also known as Minnie Mackay, was a key figure in nineteenth century Canadian-Taiwanese relations and the first local woman to marry a Christian missionary, George Leslie Mackay. This biography tracks Tiun’s history from being a child bride to a heroine devoted to education for women and the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church.
Mark Dodge delves into how Taiwanese lives were torn between harsh predicaments, and the example Tiun set as an imagined ideal of new womanhood in contested colonial space. The complex legacy left by Tiun continues, for better or worse, to be felt, in Taiwan and elsewhere, while that island nation fights for its own identity and existential rights during the twenty-first century.
A tale of resilience, this book is suitable reading for students of Taiwan, Asian Studies, Taiwanese history, the history of Christianity and missions, Asian women's history, Gender Studies, Religious Studies, and Colonial Studies.
Explore the overlooked life of Tiun Chhang-miâ, the Taiwanese woman behind the nineteenth century's most accomplished missionary, George Leslie Mackay.
Tiun Chhang-miâ (1860?-1925), a Fujian-Taiwanese girl also known as Minnie Mackay, was a key figure in nineteenth century Canadian-Taiwanese relations and the first local woman to marry a Christian missionary, George Leslie Mackay. This biography tracks Tiun’s history from being a child bride to a heroine devoted to education for women and the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church.
Mark Dodge delves into how Taiwanese lives were torn between harsh predicaments, and the example Tiun set as an imagined ideal of new womanhood in contested colonial space. The complex legacy left by Tiun continues, for better or worse, to be felt, in Taiwan and elsewhere, while that island nation fights for its own identity and existential rights during the twenty-first century.
A tale of resilience, this book is suitable reading for students of Taiwan, Asian Studies, Taiwanese history, the history of Christianity and missions, Asian women's history, Gender Studies, Religious Studies, and Colonial Studies.
Learning objectives
Introduction: crafting the story of Taiwan
Chapter 1 Taiwan: a contested colonial space
Chapter 2 Womanhood in nineteenth-century Taiwan
Chapter 3 From “Little Onion” to “Brilliant One”: becoming the woman who made Mackay a superstar
Chapter 4 The native mission’s gynocentric imaginary
Chapter 5 Tiun’s first world-tour
Chapter 6 The Sino-French War of 1884
Chapter 7 A cooler homecoming
Chapter 8 You cannot live here anymore
Chapter 9 Quiet resignation
Glossary
Suggested Discussion Topics
References
Further reading 1a
Further reading 1b
Further reading
Index
Mark Dodge PhD is an instructor of History at SUNY at Buffalo, a writing consultant at Mcmaster University, and a history teacher for the Halton Raakel School. He is the author of The Taiwanese Making of the Canada Presbyterian Mission (2020).
