十九世紀後半葉，有許多的組織團體開始在中國興建孤兒院，其目的是為了要預防殺嬰的現象蔓延，並且拯救嬰兒的生命。這些機構部分由地方政府與佛教團體所創立，不過天主教和新教亦扮演著舉足輕重的角色。早在十七世紀開始，就已經有一些天主教傳教士在各處興建孤兒院。而到了十九世紀，一個名叫聖嬰（Holy Infancy）的國際組織（一個透過募資來支援國際任務的非營利組織）在1843年成立，以及1858年天津條約的簽訂而開放港口，皆擴大了孤兒院在中國四處的發展。這種現象一直持續到二十世紀中葉。為了進一步理解這個議題，本文將焦於福建及臺灣，由來自西班牙的道明會修女以及來自菲律賓與中國的beatas（貞女、真福）的合作，在十九世紀末到二十世紀初間所經營的孤兒院。從中進一步分析這些機構的服務範疇與組織特性。並且理解這些常有所聞的棄女嬰現象，如何反應了特定時空背景下、許多在中國的家庭所持有的習俗觀及其所遭受的日常困境。此外，本文也試圖理解這些機構的設立宗旨與執行，如何定位在其對於被棄養女嬰的人性尊嚴的維護，並且期許透過撫養與教育的手段來改善她們日後的生活境遇。

As part of an effort to prevent infanticide, various institutions in the later 19th century began to establish orphanages in China. They included local governments and Buddhists organizations, but Catholic and Protestant churches also played an especially significant role, the former of which started organizing orphanages as early as the 17th century. The creation of the Holy Infancy in 1843—an international institution and sort of modern NGO raising funds all over the world to support missions worldwide—and the opening of ports following the Treaty of Tianjin (1858) drove a particularly active period of orphanage development in China until the middle of the 20th century. In order to address this broad topic, we have focused on orphanages in Fujian and Taiwan run by the Spanish Dominican sisters and Filipino or Chinese beatas (blessed virgins) from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. We seek to provide a better understanding of the scope of the abandonment of girls, the services and structures of these institutions, and the family mores and constraints in those regions of China at that time. Additionally, we examine the activities and motivations of these institutions in terms of their recognition of the dignity of female infant orphans, and their attempts to rescue and educate them to ensure a proper status in life.