The Dilemma and Transformation of Paternity Testing from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China—Focusing on Blood Kinship Testing

Abstract

Paternity testing is intertwined with kinship, morality, politics, and economics, and was indispensable in ancient China. Through practice, the ancients developed the blood-drop paternity test, forming a self-consistent mythological narrative that persisted into the Republic of China era. By the Qing Dynasty, intellectuals had questioned the rationale behind this practice. The introduction of Western medicine, based on modern science, further challenged its validity, while the new technological myth was constrained by ethical dilemmas. This article focuses on the blood-drop paternity test, examining its evolution and challenges from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China period, and exploring its significance in the history of science and technology and socio-cultural history.