They Shall See His Face: Amy Oxley Wilkinson and Her Visionary Education of the Blind in China (Studies in Chinese Christianity)

Amy Oxley Wilkinson was a well-known missionary in both China and the West in the early twentieth century. Initially setting up a mission station in a remote area of Fujian Province she became aware of the way blind children were neglected hidden or abandoned in China at the time. After finding a blind boy left to die in a ditch she established an innovative Blind Boys School in Fuzhou. Meanwhile her husband Dr. George Wilkinson set up the citys first hospital and introduced a program to address the pervasive curse of opium addiction. Amys holistic and vocational approach to disability education brought her national and later international recognition. In 1920 the president of the new Chinese republic awarded her the Order of the Golden Grain the highest honor a foreigner could receive. Two years later Amy and the schools brass band toured England and performed before Queen Mary. Amys story highlights the significance of contributions by women missionaries to the development of early modern China and is a challenge to anyone committed to making their life count for others. Her Blind School remains a major institution in Fuzhou to this day.