My Life in China and America · Character
Chin Lan Pin
A cautious official who lets others do the dangerous work and still collects the title, embodying everything Yung Wing finds frustrating about Qing bureaucracy.
supporting
Also known as Chin
First appearance: xvi proposal of my educational scheme
As a supporting figure in My Life in China and America, Chin Lan Pin is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Co-commissioner, responsible for students' Chinese studies and expenses.
Chin Lan Pin serves alongside Yung Wing on the Educational Mission, but his instinct is to avoid responsibility and let subordinates absorb the risk. When a fact-finding trip to Cuba is needed, he delays three months and sends Yeh Shu Tung ahead to do the actual labor—then returns to claim the laurels and a minister's post. His career quietly illustrates the reward system that Yung Wing believes is strangling China's best men.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
Character Web
14 connectionsA slice of how Chin Lan Pin sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Professional
- Family
- Other
Character groups
- Chinese Officials and Associates
- Early Mentors and Educators
- Protagonist
+9 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Yung Wing’s emotional peak is the collision between his personal honor—the joint ministership to Washington—an…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Woo Tsze Tung
professional · positive
Chin Lan Pin and Woo Tsze Tung were colleagues in the Chinese Educational Mission,… How this plays out →
- Chin Kiang
family · positive
- Li Sien Lan
professional · positive
- Yung Wing
professional · ambivalent
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Chin Lan Pin in xvi proposal of my educational schemeIn the story
Chin Lan Pin appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- XVII: The Chinese Educational Mission
- XVIII: Investigation of the Coolie Traffic in Peru
- XIX: End of the Educational Mission
- Journey to Peking and Death of My Wife
- An Opportunity Seized
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Chin Lan Pin unlock in the free preview.
See Chin Lan Pin in xvi proposal of my educational scheme