On June 19, 1884, at midday, Zheng Guanying arrived in Singapore. Upon his arrival, he immediately went to discuss official matters with his colleagues.
That day, he noted in his diary, "At the hour of Shen (15:00-17:00)/In the afternoon, there was a heavy rain; at the hour of Zi (0:00)/at midnight, I retired to bed, sweating incessantly." The climate there was drastically different from that of his native Xiangshan (today's Zhongshan in Guangdong) and his workplace in Shanghai.
This journey to Southeast Asia was under the orders of Peng Yulin, the Minister of Defense of Guangdong, to "unite like-minded countries against the French aggression." How could someone who had not even passed the preliminary imperial examination in Zhongshan take on such a significant responsibility?
Come and delve into the stories of Zheng Guanying with Wanzimei, explorer of Lingnan culture, and Hu Bo, Professor of Modern Chinese History, Vice President of Guangdong Historical Society.
Source | Southern Metropolis Daily & N Video
English editors | Nan, Monica, Chen Siyuan, James
