Chronicles of a Southern Isle: A Detailed Guide to Li Zhongjue’s "Xingjiapo Fengtuji"

Introduction

Published in 1895, Xingjiapo Fengtuji (The Customs of Singapore) is a seminal work by the Shanghai scholar Li Zhongjue. Born of a desire to visit his friend Zuo Binglong—the first Chinese Consul to Singapore—Li’s travelogue offers a meticulous cross-section of the island’s transformation from a "wild island" to a bustling British hub.

The Structural Fabric: A Table of Contents Analysis

Li’s work is organized into 75 distinct observations, covering the breadth of colonial life . Below is a thematic breakdown of the book's core contents:

• Geographic Orientation: Detailed descriptions of the Malay Peninsula, surrounding islands like Sumatra and Java, and the specific topography of "Greater" and "Lesser" Singapore.

• Colonial Governance: An overview of British administrative roles, including the Governor, the "Protector of Chinese," and the 16 foreign consulates present on the island.

• Demographics and Ethnicity: Classification of the five main resident types (Chinese, Europeans, Malays, Americans, and Easterners) and the specific dialect groups among the Chinese.

• Economy and Trade: Insights into the dominance of pepper and gambier, the tax-free port status, and the currency system.

• Infrastructure and Modernity: Records of hospitals, museums, iron bridges, and the gas lighting that stayed lit through the night.

• Social Realities: Candid reports on the "piglet" (coolie) trade, opium addiction, and the rise of secret "dangerous societies".

Quotable Quotes: Wisdom and Observation

Li Zhongjue’s prose is characterized by its clarity and the perspective of a Confucian scholar encountering Western modernity. Here are some of the most striking quotes from the text:

On Geography: "Surrounded on four sides by water, it is like the pearl beneath the chin of a black dragon; this is what the English call Singapore."

On Social Change: "In the local-born Chinese households of the Fujianese and Teochews, there is not a single woman dressed in Han attire; only the men retain a single queue to preserve their true origin."

On Modern Medicine: "The wards are clean and ventilated... the sick may lie or stand, sit or walk, without the appearance of being constrained or suffering."

On the Burden of Progress: "The common people think things are rising daily, unaware that maintaining peace and prosperity is a hidden worry for those who understand the situation."