A native woman carrying buckets
Fuzhou, Fujian 1871
© The Wellcome Library, London
This photograph was taken near a tea plantation on terraced hills just outside Fuzhou. Terraced fields were common in the Fujian countryside. To fertilize them the native women had to transport human manure from the city of Fuzhou. They did not bind their feet and they carried the same burdens as the men did. Hard work rendered these women strong and healthy. According to Thomson, "their olive cheeks are warmed with a glow of colour".
Chinese translation
A pdf of the information about this image in Chinese is also available to download:
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