Charity, Commerce, and Culture in Modern China: The Wing on Amateur Dramatic Club, 1923–1949

This article examines the connections between commerce and culture in the development of charity in modern China through a case study of the charity performances of the Wing On Amateur Dramatic Club from 1923 to 1949. The argument mounted here is that the entry of modern commercial corporations into an evolving charity sector marked a new phase in the evolution of Chinese philanthropy, with business firms, not merely merchants, contributing to various charitable causes as corporate citizens by contributing key resources and undertaking corporate charitable activities. The case of the Wing On Amateur Dramatic Club, a Cantonese opera piaofang (amateur performers' club) set up within the Wing On Department Store in Hong Kong and Shanghai, reveals an appetite for innovation within the indigenous corporate sector in its linking of staff development, artistic performances, corporate culture, and charitable fund-raising for community and corporate benefit.