Chinese migration from the 1850s onward was characterized by the demand for labor and included the production and marketing of goods. This was no different in the migration of Chinese migrants to Singapore. When Chinese involvement in managing trade was minimal, there was no permanent diasporic structure. Alternatively, when Chinese involvement in trade heightened, there was a stable network for the circulation of goods, money, information, and people.

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Many migrants coming to Singapore arrived from South China. This was not a trailblazing notion, instead, it was the following of the footsteps of the patriarch of the family who had traveled abroad beforehand. This kind of migration was not often fuelled by personal motivations but was an investment strategy to maintain and increase wealth, this aligns with the involvement in the trade as outlined above.

 

These changes brought on the reconceptualization of migration in China. This came as early as the 1870s where representatives of the Qing empire began to reformulate their condemnation of emigrants as “traitors”. These emigrants were moving across diasporic networks establishing links between migrants and the imperial government with the purpose of bolstering prestige, establishing diplomatic representation and extending the official protection of Chinese migrants.

 

Chinese migration was also largely influenced by The Century of Humiliation which lasted from the First Opium War of 1840-1842 until the proclamation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. This time was characterized by the intervention and imperialism China was subjected to by Western powers, Russia and Japan

 

The Century of Humiliation involved changes to perceptions and power within the international system which was driven by images, attitudes, and structures that forged much of the present debate about China’s place in the world. China’s fate was unusual at the time, as it was neither a Western colony nor sovereignly independent. This period brought immense pressure, dismissal, and disrespect from the West and later Japan, toward China’s territorial integrity, legal sovereignty and civilizational value.

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It was during this era that the ideas of China as the "sick man of Asia" arose. There are two possible meanings of this term. The first meaning is related to opium addiction, because, during this time, British merchants were importing vast amounts of opium into China to trade for tea. Consequently, many Chinese became addicted, hence the term ‘sick’. The second meaning metaphorically applies to China’s inadequacy as a national power. During the Qing Dynasty, the Emperor was made to sign a series of unequal treaties signed between China, various Western powers and the Japanese Empire. These planted disunity, economic backwardness, and social chaos, ensuring the Chinese felt inferior on the world stage. The ‘sick man’ is a derogatory term as it implied China was a weakened nation. At the time, the Qing Dynasty was buckling under social unrest, economic distress, corruption, and political disintegration. This idea of the "sick man of Asia" is explored in the Lion Dance through the breaking of the clay pots. This will be seen in the Chin Woo junior performances of the Southern Lion Dance.

 

The Century of Humiliation also brought rise to the idea of China as a sleeping giant, which was a double-sided image. On one hand, it was asleep and inert. On the other hand, if or when it awakened, it was perceived as having the ability to throw its weight around, like a giant on the move. China’s “awakening” could be recognised due to its sheer demographic size, its military revival, industrial technology developments and the growth of national salvation. This awakening was described as the consciousness of the strength of 300 million Chinese. This awakening also relates directly to the Lion Dance. Firstly, it is connected to the lion-awakening ritual when utilising a new lion costume. And secondly, the awakening of China also relates to the changes in the name of the Southern Lion Dance, which is something which will be discussed in greater depth. The name changes from Rui Shi 瑞狮 (Prosperity Lion) to Shui Shi 睡狮 (Sleeping Lion) and finally to Xing Shi 醒狮 (Awaken Lion).

 

China’s “awakening” also saw a popular rise in emigration. This was thought to build a new China outside of its strict territorial boundaries so that Chinese people could prosper for years to come whilst remaining protected by the state. Some of these benefits at the time included strengthening the nation, feeding the nation’s people, reducing the national deficit, increasing productivity and changing China’s national image.