Abstract
The translated volume reviewed here provides detailed accounts of social, political, and economic dynamics at ‘a turn of an era’ in China’s history offered by Alfred Raquez. By widening the readership beyond the francophone world, this book furnishes students and scholars interested in history and oriental studies with empirical materials and partial records of several urbanized and rural regions in China in 1898 and 1899.
The book starts with an introduction written by the translators, covering an intriguing overview of Raquez’s background, and it discusses several challenging aspects of the translation process, as well as attempts to bring the stories back into the present. The translated main texts are organized chronologically like a traveller’s logbook featuring relevant historical images originally documented by the writer, and the chapters are divided into geographical regions: the Pearl River Delta region (Hong Kong, Canton, and Macao), the Yangtze River region (mainly Shanghai), and along the Yuan River. Raquez’s accounts provide sketches of housing conditions, local customs, ethnic composition, regulatory relations, and social activities from coastal ports to inland bases. Snapshots of encounters across these geographical settings are the main constructs of the book.
On the domestic front, China in the late 1890s (late-Qing dynasty) was on its way to becoming a modern nation state, while internationally the colonial powers that occupied Chinese ports were facing outbursts of greater conflicts, eventually leading to the First World War. The late 1890s constitute an important point in time to examine colonial experiences in the outposts. Raquez was said to have been a convicted criminal in France, who took on a pseudonym and embarked on an exploration of China and other parts of Asia. The criminal past of the writer may have made him pay special attention to the legal and regulatory operations within the then existing Chinese land and sea borders. Since Raquez was accompanied by numerous local acquaintances on his travels, the textual narratives also offer detailed and intriguing accounts of some known and lesser known historical figures, their encounters, and networking activities.
The book provides interesting but extended descriptions of certain sociocultural situations and events in late-Qing inland China. For instance, some of the poor housing conditions of the local population were depicted. The activities and habits of ethnic minority groups were observed, including the Tartar population in Canton, the more well-known Miao ethnic group, and other seldom-mentioned tribes living in Guizhou, such as the Lolo, Kia, Tongjen, and Bahuang.
While the translated narratives with cultural, ethnic and social accounts of different regions in China were mostly descriptive, the dynamics of colonial governance were implied in the textual descriptions – which allowed further interpretation of the power struggles then taking place. Since the fugitive writer paid special attention to the regulatory environment and conditions of the occupied settlements, this book also illustrates the power relations among different colonial occupiers, their competing agendas and brokerage approaches to ruling territories, examples of which include the customs houses at the outposts, and displays of political and military power at the controlled ports that were of strategic importance.
The ultimate purpose of the trip and the rationale why these stories were being circulated and subscribed to in the French newspaper outlets of the time can be attributed to the exercise of soft power by colonial European occupiers in late-Qing China. Although it was sometimes disconcerting to read in the narratives recurring phrases such as ‘disseminating the charms of our race’, it was a subtle way of articulating racial supremacy in that period of time. Being entertaining and entertained appeared to be the tactics employed by the fugitive in his tour around China. Raquez seemed to have had wide networks and encountered overly welcoming local reception everywhere he went.
A large part of the book focuses on extravagant feasts, entertainment and enjoyment, which might make readers wonder why and how life in China had been so easy for a French fugitive. This might also give readers a false impression of that particular historical period. Another complication is that many accounts of travellers are often biased against the ordinary and the everyday lived experiences of the average households in the localities visited.
The endeavours of the translators to render this historical account in English is instructive. Readers wanting to improve their proficiency in French should refer to the original text, Au Pays des Pagodes, which is accessible on the Internet and from digitalized archives. The translators have drawn references from a range of authoritative materials in language and geographical studies to produce the translated texts. In particular, the translation of 19th-century Parisian argot was made with reference to French dictionaries from the same period of time.