This paper takes the late Qing revolutionary newspaper "China" as a case study to explore how, at the turning point of the era, revolutionaries used Hong Kong as a central point to radiate outward, transforming Lingnan's power into a driving force for revolution and taking it to the world. During the Xinhai Revolution, figures like Sun Yat-sen and other revolutionaries used Guangdong as a base for uprisings. Hong Kong, with its advantageous geographical position and liberal political policies, was more conducive to revolutionary activities compared to mainland China, thus playing a role as a transit and gathering point in these movements. Initially, revolutionaries established Lingnan as the revolutionary base, but they gradually realized the urgent need for propaganda and ideological innovation. This led Sun Yat-sen to commission Chen Shaobai to establish "China" in Hong Kong. Despite several relocations, "China" continued to stand as a stronghold for propaganda and revolution in Hong Kong. As newspapers served as the forefront and an immediate means of communication, revolutionaries developed revolutionary strategies through innovations in media, material spaces, personnel movements, propaganda networks, and the flow of resources and funds, while deliberately selecting corresponding linguistic and stylistic strategies to respond to revolutionary demands. Centred on the newspaper revolution, we gain insight into the connections between Hong Kong, Nanyang, and even the world during a time of change.

Authors:
Ziqing Mai, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Mai Ziqing is currently a doctoral student of Chinese Literature at Department of Chinese Language and Literature, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, HK.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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