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."

把身體看成一片風景：認識寒、熱、虛、實

 

把身體看成一片風景：認識寒、熱、虛、實

在中醫的眼中，身體不像機器，而更像一個小小的自然世界。裡面有溫暖、有寒涼、有動、有靜。當這些力量失去平衡，身體就發出信號，要我們去調整。

熱（偏熱的狀態）

想像夏天中午的太陽，光亮、旺盛、活動多。這就是「熱」的樣子。當體內太熱，人會覺得煩躁、口乾、臉紅、眼赤，甚至晚上睡不安穩。身體像燃起的火，中醫的做法不是立刻「滅火」，而是幫它慢慢「降溫」：清心安靜、吃清淡的食物、保持心平氣和。

寒（偏冷的狀態）

「寒」就像冬日清晨，一切變得慢、氣少、身冷。手腳冰冷、疲倦、胃口差，就是體內太涼。這不是氣候的冷，而是身體裡的「季節變了」。要讓它回暖，可以吃溫和的食物、多動一動、曬太陽或保持好心情。

實（過多的狀態）

「實」指的是「太滿」，不論是食物、怒氣或火氣，都累積太深，像身體裡塞車。症狀常強烈而突然，如頭脹、氣上沖、胃悶。這時要「疏通」，讓堵塞處流轉，就像開啟水閘，讓水自然流動。

虛（不足的狀態）

「虛」則相反，是「不夠」。就像溪水乾涸，力氣不足、聲音低、精神弱、痛而無力，都是「虛」的表現。中醫不會急著「補藥」，而是教人慢養：睡好、吃得清淡、少勞多歇，讓身體的水慢慢回流。

西醫可能會用「體溫、代謝、營養、荷爾蒙」等名詞來說明這些現象，而中醫則以自然的語言去描述。所謂「熱」、「寒」、「虛」、「實」，其實是幫我們用肉眼與感覺去理解身體內發生的事。最終的目的相同——讓生命重新流動、平衡、自在。

Seeing the Body as a Landscape: Understanding Heat, Cold, Fullness, and Emptiness

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Seeing the Body as a Landscape: Understanding Heat, Cold, Fullness, and Emptiness

In TCM, the body is seen not like a machine but like a small world — full of warmth, coolness, movement, and stillness. These forces must stay in harmony. When one side grows too strong, the body sends signals that it needs rebalancing.

Heating (Yang or Hot Conditions)

Think of a sunny summer afternoon — bright, active, and full of energy. That’s like the heating side of the body. When this grows too strong, people may feel restless, thirsty, or irritable, with warm skin or red eyes. The body is telling us there’s “too much fire.” The solution isn’t just to remove the heat but to help the body cool gently — through rest, calm emotions, lighter food, and a peaceful mind.

Cooling (Yin or Cold Conditions)

Cooling is the opposite. Imagine a winter morning when everything moves slower; that’s how the body feels when it is too cool inside. Hands and feet may feel cold, energy drops, one may crave warmth or comfort food. It’s not about external temperature, but the body’s “internal season.” Warming foods, gentle movement, sunlight, or laughter can bring that warmth back.

Fullness (Excess)

Fullness means something has built up too much — like a traffic jam in the body. It could be too much heat, food, emotion, or tension. Symptoms are stronger, come suddenly, and feel “pushing.” For example, a strong headache that feels tight or a stomach that feels bloated after overeating. The focus is to unblock and let things move again, like opening a dam.

Emptiness (Deficiency)

Emptiness, by contrast, is when the body doesn’t have enough energy or resources — like a river running dry. Symptoms develop slowly and feel “lacking”: tiredness, dull pain, or low mood. The approach is not to fight but to nourish — to rest more, eat simply, and rebuild strength over time.

Western medicine might describe these as body temperature, metabolism, or chemical imbalance. TCM simply uses the language of nature — talking about “heat,” “cold,” “full,” and “empty” so people can picture what’s happening inside without instruments or lab tests. The aim is the same: to restore balance so life can flow freely again.

順應自然：用淺白方式看中醫

 

順應自然：用淺白方式看中醫

中醫不僅是一種治病的方法，更是一種看待生命的方式。它從一個樸素的觀察開始：人是自然的一部分。正如樹要有陽光、水分與肥沃的土壤才能成長，人也需要有規律的生活、平穩的情緒與通暢的氣息，才能健康。

在中醫的眼中，健康不是「沒有病」，而是「一切運轉和諧」。當一個人總覺得疲倦、煩躁或睡不好，這不一定是哪個部位出了問題，而是身體的自然節奏被打亂了，就像小溪被落葉堵住一樣。中醫所做的，是幫助這股流再度順暢，讓身體恢復原本的節奏與舒暢。

西醫多專注在明確的部位與原因，例如修復關節、降血壓或消滅細菌；中醫則是看整座「花園」而不只是「一株植物」。西方醫學擅長測量、分析與找出具體病源，而中醫更重視關係：睡眠如何影響情緒、情緒如何改變食慾、身體如何隨天氣、飲食與時間而變。

中醫認為人的身體與四季相通。春天要動、要舒展；夏天要開懷、要通氣；秋天要收斂、要沉靜；冬天要保暖、要藏養。懂得這樣與自然同行，就會發現健康不只來自藥物，更來自每天生活的方式。

這種想法聽來詩意，卻指向一個實際的道理：平衡帶來力量。能與自然同調、與自己和諧的人，會有一種安穩的力量，不僅能治病，更能在疾病到來之前，就已養好了身心的根基。

Balancing with Nature: Understanding Traditional Chinese Medicine

 

Balancing with Nature: Understanding Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is more than a medical system — it is a way of seeing life. It begins with a simple observation: humans are part of nature. Just as trees need sunlight, water, and rich earth to thrive, people need balance in their daily rhythm, emotions, and surroundings.

In TCM, health is not only the absence of disease but the presence of harmony. When someone feels tired all the time or becomes easily upset, it isn’t just a question of one organ or one symptom; it is a sign that life’s natural flow has been disrupted — like a stream blocked by fallen leaves. The goal of TCM is to help that stream flow smoothly again, restoring the body’s rhythm and ease.

Where Western medicine often focuses on the part that hurts — fixing a joint, lowering blood pressure, or destroying bacteria — TCM tends to look at the whole garden instead of the single plant. Western science is excellent at measuring, identifying, and analyzing the physical causes of illness. TCM, however, focuses more on relationships: how sleep affects mood, how emotions affect digestion, and how every part of life responds to the weather, food, and time of day.

TCM believes our bodies change with the seasons. In spring, we should move and stretch; in summer, enjoy lightness and openness; in autumn, slow down and reflect; in winter, keep warm and conserve energy. This living rhythm aligns us with the larger world — it teaches that healing isn’t only found in medicine but also in the way we live each day.

The roots of this way of thinking may sound poetic, yet they point toward a practical truth: balance creates strength. To live in tune with nature and with ourselves is to nurture quiet resilience — the kind that doesn’t only repair illness but builds vitality long before sickness appears.