Before 1960 a Chinese woman was a rare sight in Britain. There may have been occasional glimpses of Chinese amahs returning with missionary families or the odd female student or diplomat’s wife. But there are some intriguing accounts handed down within families of the few women who did reach these shores.
One of most remarkable Chinese women to first settle in Britain is Song Ling Whang. At the beginning of the 20th century she made the long overland journey from China to Britain, on foot. A journey of over 6000 miles. She walked with a group of other young people following the route of the trans-Siberian railway line to Europe, performing acrobatics and making paper flowers to earn their way. What is even more remarkable is that she made this journey on tiny claw-like feet that had previously been bound in the traditional Chinese manner.
A very different group of women to settle in Britain in the 1930s and 40s were the wives of Chinese diplomats and intellectuals. In the programme Grace Lau describes the lives of these women, including her own mother Lily Hsiung. Having had servants in China they had to learn to cook for themselves in London - in kitchens that were completely alien to them and without their familiar Chinese ingredients. Soon however they were competing with each other to produce 14-course banquets, each more elaborate than the last.
Lily Hsiung (right) and friend c.1940
Photo courtesy of Grace Lau
__________________________________________ YOUR COMMENTS:
Excellent programme, to the point, factual without waffle, pictures of the characters on the web would have been perfect. R.Rahmanian
