The "ten-thousand people umbrella" or wanminsan (万民伞) is a Chinese honorific item traditionally presented by local communities to upright officials upon their departure from office. The wanminsan tradition was most widespread during the Ming and Qing dynasties, when the civil service examination system also reached its peak as the main method of social mobility. As a gift presented to local officials, wanminsan became a status symbol reflecting the official’s popularity and social capital. Due to its popularity and the symbolic connection to the people, wanminsan eventually transcended its original institutional context and became part of a broader folk tradition. It can still be found today as a symbol of auspiciousness and an offering to bodhisattvas as part of temple fairs. Due to its uniqueness and deep symbolism, wanminsan also found its way into missionary and other collections, where it serves as an important source in studying the material culture and social relations of the late Qing China. This master's thesis uses two wanminsan from missionary Peter Baptist Turk's collection, sent from China to Europe in the early twentieth century, to explore the changing social contexts in which wanminsan were used, from gifts presented to upright officials within the Qing bureaucratic system to expressions of gratitude directed towards foreign missionaries, as well as their place within broader folk religious traditions.
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