", ▁" all ") ▁in ▁Chinese ▁and ▁other ▁cult ures ▁is ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁universe , ▁or ▁the ▁manifest ation ▁and ▁cre ativity ▁of ▁God . ▁It ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁new ▁trans n ational ▁world ▁re dem pt ive ▁soci eties ▁founded ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 th - century ▁China , ▁drawing ▁upon ▁Western ▁examples ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Red ▁Cross ▁to ▁build ▁char itable ▁institutions ▁ground ed ▁in ▁Asian ▁traditional ▁relig ions . ▁Re ports ▁of ▁its ▁strength ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁seem ▁to ▁vary ▁widely , ▁with ▁cit ations ▁of ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁" members " ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 7 ▁to ▁ 7 – 1 0 ▁million ▁" follow ers " ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 . ▁ ▁Mission ▁ ▁Gener ally , ▁its ▁mission ▁was ▁a ▁broad - based ▁effort ▁of ▁phil anth ropy ▁and ▁moral ▁education . ▁ ▁It ▁ran ▁poor h ouses ▁and ▁soup ▁k itch ens , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁modern ▁hosp it als ▁and ▁other ▁relief ▁works . ▁ ▁It ▁had ▁an ▁explicit ▁international ist ▁focus , ▁extending ▁relief ▁efforts ▁to ▁Tokyo ▁after ▁earth qu akes ▁and ▁also ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁natural ▁dis aster s ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁ ▁In ▁addition , ▁it ▁had ▁offices ▁in ▁Paris , ▁London , ▁and ▁Tokyo ▁and ▁profess ors ▁of ▁Es per anto ▁within ▁its ▁membership . ▁ ▁N ank ing ▁Mass acre ▁▁ ▁Perhaps ▁its