CHANGES IN THE CONCEPT OF “HYGIENE” IN THE LATE QING DYNASTY – TAKING MACAU AS AN EXAMPLE

“Hygiene”, a “concept” discussed throughout this thesis, is now regarded as a necessary means to ""protect life"". It is generally believed that hygiene has a certain relationship to infectious diseases, and its definition is based on modern Western “hygiene” theory. In fact, the concept of “hygiene” also existed in ancient China, but the definition of “hygiene” differed from that in the West. In order to better distinguish between the two, the following thesis uses the word “wei sheng” for the traditional Chinese concept of “hygiene”. Its meaning refers to how people prevent diseases in their daily lives, including eating habits, daily life, and so forth, in order to achieve the related ideal of longevity, an interpretation that differs from the current definition of hygiene introduced from the West. This thesis will explain the difference between the two.
In addition, this thesis uses Macau as a case study and example. As a place that was once colonized by Western countries, Macau has been particularly directly influenced by these modern ideas. Among them, the Western concept of “hygiene” was spread and implemented with the Portuguese management of Macau, especially in the construction of hospitals and measures taken in response to multiple plagues in the 19th century. How did the Chinese in Macau view these Western concepts? What changes did they prompt in Macau?
This thesis will mainly discuss four questions. How did hygiene concepts change in China during the late Qing Dynasty? Taking Macau as an example, how did the Chinese view these changes? Did they prompt any conflicts between cultures? What was the relationship between changes in hygiene concepts and measures implemented to handle plagues and epidemics?