Kao Taotai's house, Shenyang, ca.1889

“Interior of Kao Taotai’s house showing decorations at the funeral.” Interior view of a house with reflective decorations hanging form the ceiling and large painted models of animals in the room. This is one of a series of photographs of a traditional Chinese funeral from the period ❧ The United Presbyterian Mission in Manchuria had been established by John Ross (1842-1915) when he entered the region in 1872. Shenyang [Moukden] became an important station in the interior and Hospitals, Schools and Orphanages were built there. The United Presbyterian Mission unified with the Irish Presbyterian Mission in 1890 to form an indigenous Presbytery, named Kuan Tung, with Chinese as the official language. ❧ The image is from an album associated with Rev. James A Whylie (1863-1894) who was ordained to the Manchuria mission in 1887 and based in Liaoyang, 1888-1894