Confessions of a Chinese Heroine: The Labor Camp Memoirs of Sr. Ying Mulan

by Teresa Ying Mulan, Francis Morgan (Editor), Francis Morgan (Translator)

Overview

The memoirs of Sister Ying Mulan describe her experiences as a Chinese Christian living in a turbulent era marked by the Communist takeover, the Cultural Revolution, and many momentous political reforms. Born into a family of politically active Catholics, Ying Mulan was eventually imprisoned in Shanghai and later sent to serve in labor camps for over twenty years. While living through such difficult circumstances, Ying Mulan derived strength from her faith. At the age of 60, she became a religious sister, and twenty-five years later she decided to write her autobiography. In this book, Francis Morgan offers the first English translation of Sr. Ying’s memoirs, providing explanatory notes based on historical research and a series of extensive interviews with Sr. Ying. As she recounts the trials that she and others endured, Sr. Ying speaks with a remarkable tone of gratitude, giving thanks to God for the tests that steeled her character, tempered her pride, and increased her compassion. While her work stands out as a modern spiritual autobiography, it also deserves recognition as a political text. Sr. Ying’s memoirs offer valuable and rare insights into the realities of religious life in China, the hidden world of labor camps and prisons, and the extremes of Cultural Revolution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611463217
Publisher:	University Press Copublishing Division
Publication date:	08/26/2021
Series:	Studies in Christianity in China
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	366
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Teresa Ying Mulan (b. 1933) is a labor camp survivor and nun, who worked for the Patriotic Association of the Catholic Church in China.

Francis Morgan, PhD, is an independent scholar living in China.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Implementation of New Politics

Chapter Two: My Way into the Labor Camp

Chapter Three: The Qinghe Farm and the Farm in Daxinzhuang

Chapter Four: My Home in Beijing

Chapter Five: The Ying Family

Chapter Six: My Middle School Years

Chapter Seven: My Shanghai Experience

Chapter Eight: By Searching for a Tomb I Found the Church

Chapter Nine: My Vocation and My Mission

Chapter Ten: The Revival of the Josephine Sisters of Beijing Diocese

Chapter Eleven: Several Major Events

Chapter Twelve: My First Journey Abroad

Chapter Thirteen: Hongkong, the Pearl of China

Chapter Fourteen: Mother Teresa Visits China

Chapter Fifteen: The Centennial Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima

Chapter Sixteen: Fu Tieshan, the Bishop of Beijing Diocese

Chapter Seventeen: The Election of Li Shan as Bishop of Beijing Diocese

Chapter Eighteen: Driving Lessons at the Age of Seventy

Chapter Nineteen: My Stories With the Police Office

Chapter Twenty: My Infatuation With the Political Consultative Conference

Chapter Twenty-one: Dreaming of a Kingdom of Heaven on Earth

Editorial Reviews

This translation and annotation of Sister Ying Mulan’s autobiography offers a moving reflection on the sufferings and faithfulness of a devout Catholic serving in a difficult century. Her life testifies to the important roles that women play in church and society, and it also documents the challenges of Chinese Catholicism, revealing how believers must navigate the competing demands of patriotic nationalism and membership in the ‘official’ and universal church.

Tobias Bradner

This autobiography of the Catholic sister Ying Mulan offers rare glimpses into Christian life in China from the 1950s to the present – an account of a moving spiritual journey and an important testimony of turbulent times. Francis Morgan’s English translation provides helpful annotations on the historical context and on the Chinese Catholic Church.

Barbara Hoster