Revolutionary roots of Singapore's Chinese newspaper cartoons

An ongoing exhibition at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall examines the links between the 1911 revolution in China and the emergence of Chinese newspaper cartoons in Singapore. The Straits Times takes a closer look at some of the works on show.

Open to the public until July next year, the exhibition, titled Between The Lines - The Chinese Cartoon Revolution, showcases almost 150 cartoons and artefacts. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SUN YAT SEN NANYANG MEMORIAL HALL, ST FILE
Between The Lines – The Chinese Cartoon Revolution: The exhibition is being held at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall until July 7 next year. It is open from 10am to 5pm every day except Monday, and admission is free for Singaporeans and permanent residents. The entry fees for foreigners range from $4 to $6. PHOTO: ST FILE
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In the early 1900s, as the bid to overthrow more than 200 years of Qing rule in China gathered pace, the Chinese community in Singapore kept a keen eye on the revolutionary movement, channelling funds and setting up newspapers and political associations to drum up support for the cause.

Their efforts ultimately contributed to the end of imperial rule in China and paved the way to the establishment of the Chinese republic. At the same time, such activities also left behind an oft-overlooked legacy here: the emergence of cartoons in Chinese-language newspapers here.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 11, 2018, with the headline Revolutionary roots of Singapore's Chinese newspaper cartoons. Subscribe