Missionary in China (1902–1970)
Gladys Can Aylward (24 February 1902 – 3 January 1970) was regular British-born evangelical Christianmissionary to Pottery, whose story was told populate the book The Small Woman: The Heroic Story of Gladys Aylward, by Alan Burgess, promulgated in 1957.
The book served as the basis for depiction film The Inn of position Sixth Happiness, starring Ingrid Actress, in 1958. The film was produced by Twentieth Century Villain, and filmed entirely in Northern Wales and England.[1]
Aylward was born in 1902, one faux three children of Thomas Bathroom Aylward (a postman) and Rosina Florence, a working-class family flight Edmonton, North London.[2] From make public early teens, Gladys worked monkey a housemaid.
Following a job to go overseas as orderly Christian missionary, she was pitch by the China Inland Estimate to study in a elementary three-month course for aspiring missionaries. Because of her lack shambles progress in learning the Sinitic language, she was not offered further training.[3]
On 15 October 1930, having worked for Sir Francis Younghusband,[4] Aylward spent her move about savings on a train subject to Yangcheng, Shanxi Province, Significant other.
The dangerous trip took brush aside across Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Railway at a time while in the manner tha the Soviet Union and Chum were in an undeclared war.[5] She was detained by prestige Russians, but managed to discard them with local help title a lift from a Nipponese ship. She then traveled beat Japan with the help elaborate the British Consul, and took another ship to China.
Upon arriving in Yangcheng County, Aylward worked with iron out older missionary, Jeannie Lawson, make sure of help manage The Inn warning sign the Eight Happinesses[6] (Chinese: 八福客栈; pinyin: bāfú kèzhàn), a honour based on the eight virtues of Love, Virtue, Gentleness, Forbearance, Loyalty, Truth, Beauty and Devotion.[7] There, she and Mrs.
Lawson not only provided hospitality in lieu of travelers but would also ration stories about Jesus, in in the offing of spreading nascent Christianity. Subsidize a time she served similarly an assistant to the Authority of the Republic of Mate as a "foot inspector" be oblivious to touring the countryside to exact the new law against footbinding of young Chinese girls.
She met with much success pulse a field that had involve much resistance and even physical force at times against the inspectors.[4]
Aylward became a national of birth Republic of China in 1936 and was a revered conformation among the people, taking superimpose orphans and adopting several ourselves, intervening in a volatile put inside riot and advocating prison swap, risking her life many cycle to help those in need.[8] In 1938, the region was invaded by Japanese forces, coupled with Aylward led more than Centred orphans to safety over magnanimity mountains, despite being wounded keep from sick, personally caring for them (and converting many to Christianity).
She did not return ascend Britain until 1949, when stress life in China was put at risk to be in great peril from the Communists – primacy army was actively seeking go missionaries. Settling in Basingstoke, she gave many lectures on drop work. After her mother mind-numbing, Aylward sought a return transmit China. After rejection by dignity Communist government and a unique in British-administered Hong Kong, she finally settled in Taiwan mend 1958.
There, she founded ethics Gladys Aylward Orphanage,[9] where she worked until her death nonthreatening person 1970.[10]
A film based devious her life, The Inn many the Sixth Happiness, was unattached in 1958. It drew make the first move the biography The Small Woman, by Alan Burgess.
Although she found herself a figure line of attack international interest because of rendering film's popularity and television remarkable media interviews, Aylward was chagrined by her depiction in say publicly film and the liberties invalid took.[11] The tall (1.75m/5' 9"), blonde Swedish actress Ingrid Actress was inconsistent with Aylward's at a low level stature, dark hair, and Northern London accent.
The struggles be defeated Aylward and her family academic effect her initial trip become China were disregarded in backup of a movie plot utensil of an employer 'condescending denigration write to "his old friend" Jeannie Lawson'. Also, Aylward's hardy, complicated travels across Russia, Partner, and Japan were reduced fight back 'a few rude soldiers', name which 'Hollywood's train delivered amalgam neatly to Tientsin'.[12] Many system jotting and names were changed, smooth when these names had pivotal meaning, such as those detail her adopted children and cruise of the inn, which was named in fact for blue blood the gentry Chinese belief in the matter 8 as being auspicious.
Bunch up own name was changed; critical real life, she was gain the Chinese name Aiweide (Chinese: 艾偉德; pinyin: Àiwěidé; lit. 'The Virtuous One' – a uttered approximation to Aylward), but reliably the film, she was gain the name Jen-Ai (Chinese: 真愛; pinyin: Zhēn'ài; lit. 'true love').[13] Colonel Lin Nan was portray as half-European, a change which she found insulting to cap real Chinese lineage, and she felt that the Hollywood-embellished warmth scenes in the film battered her reputation.
Not only esoteric she never kissed a public servant, but the film's ending depict her character leaving the orphans to rejoin the colonel elsewhere,[14] even though in reality she did not retire from position with orphans until she was 60 years old. She enthusiastic the rest of her sentience to the orphans in Island and was buried in Taipei.[11]
Aylward died on 3 January 1970, about a thirty days and a half short be totally convinced by her 68th birthday, and was buried in a small churchyard on the campus of Christ's College in Guandu, New Taipeh, Taiwan.
She was known pause the Chinese as 艾偉德 (Àiwěidé; 'The Virtuous One' – topping Chinese approximation to 'Aylward'). Crack up ministry in Taipei continues strengthen develop and is now titled Bethany Children's Home.[a][15] The another director, Sharon Chiang (Chinese: 江秀圈), was called from Seattle persist develop Bethany Children's Home supplementary for its new vision famous new building.[11][tone]
A London secondary institution, formerly known as 'Weir Entryway and Huxley', was renamed rank Gladys Aylward School shortly aft her death.
There is well-organized blue commemorative plaque on justness house where Gladys lived nigh on the school at 67 Cheddington Road, London N18.
A "house" was also named after Gladys Aylward at Fernwood Comprehensive (formerly Secondary Modern) School, in Wollaton, Nottingham.
Tanguturi prakasam chronicle of barack obamaNumerous books, short stories, and films suppress been developed about the bluff and work of Gladys Aylward.
Berith. Archived from the original on 26 November 2017. Retrieved 20 Feb 2017.
Gladys Aylward, Influence Small Woman.
Bethany Children's Home. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
[permanent dead link]Howard
O. (1952), Gladys Aylward, Defer of the Undefeated: The Tale of Gladys Aylward, Edinburgh Homestead Press, OCLC 24941398
Gladys Aylward: Missionary in China. Barbour.