Secret Society’s Spreading Rumors and Anti-Church Cases at Northwest Hubei in Late Qing dynasty

This paper aims to investigate the creation and spread of rumors and fake news through the Anti-Church Cases occurred in the mountainous region of Hubei Province. In addition, it deals with the control methods respectively adopted by central governments and local authorities during the times of outbreaks and disseminations. The epidemic has broken out in the north area of Hubei province in the summer of 1892. At that moment, Chinese government didn''t take any effective measures regarding proper medical assistance, active control and prevention. The epidemic seriously harmed people''s lives and health, and people were extremely anxious psychologically. It was rumored that it was missionary of Catholicism who bribed people to poison the well water. The rumor spread rapidly, Catholicism became the target on which people vented their fears and anxiety. People burned and robbed the believer house and church in Xiangyang and Gucheng. The secret society was the secret manipulator behind the Anti-Christian case. They were spreading rumors, burning and robbing the believer, to besieging the church, they were all active organizers and participants in the Gucheng·Xiangyang Anti-Christian case. The government was afraid of causing interference between China and foreign countries on one hand, and afraid of evoking mass uprising on the other hand. So, the government sought social stability by suppressing them, and tried to mediate with believers.