In 1847, the Bishop of Macau extended an invitation to the Daughters of Charity to serve in China. Following careful preparations at the Motherhouse in Paris, the first group of twelve Sisters set out and arrived in Macau. By 1851, they had established their first Community in Ningbo, Zhejiang, soon followed by the founding of the Central House in Shanghai. Their mission steadily expanded northward. In 1861–1862, the Sisters opened a community in Tianjin, where they also opened an orphanage dedicated to the care of a large number of children.

Over time, the charitable works of the Daughters of Charity reached numerous cities across China. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, historical records attest to their remarkable presence: a wide network of social institutions comprising 13 schools, 14 orphanages, 12 kindergartens, 28 clinics, 18 hospitals, and 14 homes for the elderly.

As the community grew, anti-foreign sentiment also intensified in certain regions of China. In 1870, hostile groups circulated false accusations against foreign missionaries, including the Daughters of Charity. This wave of hostility culminated in the martyrdom of two priests from the Congregation of the Mission and the tragic death of ten Daughters of Charity, most of them French Sisters.

Despite periods of political unrest and regional uprisings, the charitable works of the Daughters of Charity continued to flourish. Their communities were, in general, safeguarded, allowing their institutions to carry on without major destruction.

In 1937, the Japanese invasion of China ushered in another wave of instability. As many cities fell under Japanese control, missionary activity was deeply affected. During this turbulent period, four priests of the Congregation of the Mission were executed, and the Daughters of Charity endured severe restrictions—yet they persevered, continuing their ministry wherever possible.

Following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, foreign missionary activity came under growing suspicion. Beginning in 1951, foreign sisters were compelled to leave the country. One by one, the missionary sisters returned to their homelands, church properties were confiscated, the remaining local sisters were scattered, and the organized community could no longer continue public religious life.