Romanisation
As a general rule, I have used the pinyin system of romanisation in this book. In many cases, I include both pinyin and Chinese characters to avoid confusion. However, I have retained the unique romanisation of personal names to reflect the diversity of origins within the overseas Chinese Christian community in Shanghai. Hence, a family name romanised as “Lau” (刘) points to Hong Kong or Singapore origins. The same surname romanised as “Liu” points to mainland Chinese roots.
Exchange Rates
The Renminbi (RMB) grew steadily stronger between the years 2006 and 2015 when I conducted research for this book. In 2006, it was approximately US$1 to RMB$8. In 2015, the exchange rate was approximately US$1 to RMB$6.08.