Xing Hang: The Mo Clan and Hà Tiên in the Chinese Century of Maritime East Asia, 1650-1800
Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Interdisciplinary Research Seminar
The Mo Clan and Hà Tiên in the Chinese Century of Maritime East Asia, 1650-1800
Professor Xing Hang
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Date and Time: May 20, 2025 (Tue) 12:30-13:30 HKT | May 19, 2025 (Mon) 21:30-22:30 PDT
Venue: Room 201, May Hall, The University of Hong Kong or Via Zoom
Register now: https://hku.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7JtwMr8sQE2D3pwqkgEWFA#/registration
Abstract
For much of the eighteenth century, Hà Tiên, situated on the present-day Vietnam-Cambodia border, was one of the most important entrepôts in maritime East Asia. Under the governance of the Chinese creole Mo (Mạc) clan, it prospered as a transhipment point between Northeast, mainland Southeast, and island Southeast Asia, as well as a financial center. The Chinese merchants who frequented the place simply called it “The Port.” At the same time, the Mo actively expanded into the hinterlands of the Mekong Delta and Gulf of Siam littoral, recruiting Chinese, Viet, Khmer, and Austronesian migrants to open up new land and exploit natural resources and mines. The Port’s prosperity owed much to the commercialization of the Qing economy and the formation of the Guangzhou System. It was the prototype of the free trade ports of Singapore and Hong Kong that emerged over a century afterward.
About the Speaker
Xing Hang is Associate Professor of History at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His interests include early modern maritime East Asia, Eurasian comparative history, and overseas Chinese. He has written two books and several articles and reviews, and is a recipient of many grants and awards, including from the American Council of Learned Societies and the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation.
About the Series
This series aims to introduce a wide range of cutting-edge research in various disciplines and areas.
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