Leprosy villages or leprosaria have played a unique role in the leprosy control programme in Shandong Province. More than 80% of the total registered cases have been held in leprosy village/leprosaria for variable periods of time. This has had both positive and negative impacts on the leprosy control programme in Shandong, perhaps reflecting the whole situation of leprosy control in China. “Chen Shumin, Liu Dingchang, Liu Bing, Zhang Lin and Yu Xioulu, “Role of Leprosy Villages and Leprosaria in Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China: Past, Present and Future” Leprosy Review, 74 (2003): 222-8.