Gladys Aylward

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Gladys Aylward (Chinese name: 艾偉德, pinyin: Ai.wei.de) (24 February 1902–January 3, 1970) was the Protestant missionary to China whose story was told in the book The Small Woman by Alan Burgess, published in 1957. In 1958, the story was made into the Hollywood film, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, starring Ingrid Bergman.

Aylward was born of a working-class family in Edmonton, London in 1902. Although forced into domestic service at an early age, she always had an ambition to go overseas as a missionary, and studied with great determination in order to be fitted for the role, only to be turned down by the China Inland Mission because her academic background was inadequate.

Her determination was such that, in 1930, she spent her life savings on a passage to Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, China, where she founded The Inn of the Eight Happinesses (八福客棧) (The Hollywood film changed this to The Inn of the Sixth Happiness) in a remote and backward area.

In 1938, the region was invaded by Japanese forces, and Aylward led ninety-four children to safety over the mountains. She remained in China after World War II, later moving back to England. She later decided to return to China but was denied re-entry by the Chinese Government and decided to settle in Taiwan in 1953.

She died on 3 January 1970, and is buried in a small cemetery on the campus of Christ's College in Guandu, Taipei County. She was known as 艾偉德 (Ai-wei-de, 'Virtuous One') to the Chinese.

The Edmonton secondary school formerly known as Weir Hall was renamed the Aylward School in her honour shortly after her death.

[edit] External links

• Biography of Gladys Aylward
• An anecdote on how the book came to be written
• Brief biography and extensive bibliography

Persondata
NAME	Aylward, Gladys
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Missionary in China
DATE OF BIRTH	24 February 1902
PLACE OF BIRTH	[[[Edmonton, London]]
DATE OF DEATH	January 3, 1970
PLACE OF DEATH	Taiwan