Abstracts

Egg industry development in Republican China(1911-1949) had a critical but overlooked role in modern Chinesehistory. The egg industry had purchased chicken eggs from ruralChina and exported them to European and North America market,turning the eggs into a global commodity. Through the export trade,the egg industry had provided economic incentives for chickenpoultry development, increased chicken egg consumption in the urbanarea, and secured a place in the conversation of Chinas nationbuilding. Against the backdrop of industrial development, a numberof Republican individuals began to advocate chicken poultry in1920s. By increasing chicken egg production and domesticconsumption, these poultry advocates hoped to sustain industrialdevelopment, balance national trade deficit, support ruralconstruction, and improve nutritional health. Through the poultryadvocacy, this thesis investigates the modern transformation ofchicken egg production and consumption in China from the aspects ofcommerce, production, and consumption. It also looks at therelation between Western sciences and traditional Chinesepractices, which the poultry advocates had tried to utilize inpoultry reform and chicken egg promotion. Finally, it examines themultiple reinterpretations of chicken egg consumption in RepublicanChina. This thesis pointed to the influence of market forces andnationalism in modern food production and consumption, andcontributes to the modern history of agricultural techniques, foodindustry, and notions of nutrition in China. published_or_final_version Humanities and Social Sciences Master Master of Philosophy