The METAMORPHOSIS of the XGLS (小港李氏)

In the recent years, there has been a good deal of interest in the Xiao-Gang Li Family (briefly as XGLS 小港李氏). Many references were made in the various journals and books, relating to the early history and subsequent “successes” of the members of the XGLS over the five generations, starting from early 19^th century to the present.

In brief, the history of the XGLS began about 200 years ago with Li Ye-Ting (1808-1868), and his older brother, Li Bi-An (1795-1880). The village of Xiao-Gang was situated near Ning-Bo in Zhe-Jiang province. At the young age of 16, Li Ye-Ting went to Shanghai. From a very humble start, over the next four decades, he created a “family enterprise”, ending with a sand-boat company (shipping and commodity trading), a dockyard with warehouses (real estate) and three money-houses (savings and loans, thus finance).

In addition, Li Ye-Ting sent half of the profit to his older brother, Li Bi-An, who remained at the home village (XG). With the fund from Shanghai, Li Bi-An accumulated more and more farm land, thus becoming a large land owner. And, the Li family built a large family compound for the housing needs of the family members. The Li family established the very first school for the village children. The Li family bought the first generators to bring electricity to their family compound. The Li family created a “benevolent organization” to help the poor families in the village.

When Li Ye-Ding was 60 years old (in 1868), he retired, giving the control of his “family enterprises” in Shanghai to his nephew, Li Ting-Dao. By then, the two Opium Wars had been fought, both ending in the disastrous defeats, and subsequently the shameful “peace treaties”. Shanghai was one of the five sea-ports, to be opened to the foreigners’ trading and settlement.

With the coming of the steam-boats, the old fashioned sand-boats were no match, and began to fade away. The family-owned “money houses” had limited capital, making primarily personal loans to the small business entities within the Chinese City of Shanghai. They were overshadowed by the newly formed banks, funded by the foreign nations and trading companies.

However, the dockyard business (real estate) continued to prosper. The original dockyard was expanded with the purchase of more land along the HUANG--Pu River. More warehouses were built. Even though the sand-boats were declining, the dockyard and the warehouses continued to serve other boats and steamships. Thus, the emphasis fell onto the “real estate” business of the XGLS.

When Li Ting-Dao retired in 1894, the old “Li family enterprises” had faded a good deal, except for the “real estate”. The XGLS was already divided into two branches, the Qian 乾and the Kun坤. There were sixteen cousins, nine in the Qian Branch and seven in the Kun Branch. Li Yong-Shong, No. 3 in age among the sixteen cousins, assumed the “manager” title of the XGLS family enterprises. He was an “old-fashioned” Chinese “gentleman”, very conservative and traditional. But, many of his cousins of the Kun branch were engaged in different “personal” ventures. Three of his cousins were actively involved in the revolutionary activities, trying to over-throw the Qing dynasty.

Li Yong-Shong and his cousins expanded the “financial” business by creating more “money-houses”. These newly formed “money houses” were not totally “family owned”. Instead, they were co-owned with other Chinese “partners” or “investors”. At the same time, he and his cousins became stock-holders and directors of many of the early banks in Shanghai. So, the XGLS members remained well known and well-connected in the financial business in Shanghai and later in many other cities in China.

Under Li Yong-Shong’s direction, a company, named Xin-Ji (新记公司), was formed to manage the sand-boats and the commodity trading as well as the dock-yard and the warehouses. The commodity trading business faded as the sand-boats were “retired”. Next to the original dockyard, more land was acquired, upon which rows of individual houses were built to become the residences of Li Yung-Shong and some of his cousins. Some of the houses served as the office of Xin-Ji Company, as well as storage facilities. The remaining houses were designated for “rentals”. This was the beginning of the “residential real estate” of the XGLS. Originally, the Xin-Ji Company was co-owned by the two branches of the Li family. As time went on, the cousins of the Kun branch gradually sold their shares and took the funds to be invested in many other ventures of the individuals. Eventually, the Qian branch became the primary owner of Xing-Qi, with Li Yong-Shong at the helm. In the later years, Li Yong-Shong and his cousins expanded their real estate holdings to the territories away from the “old” Chinese city of Shanghai, (南市).

Politically, near the very end of the Qing Dynasty, there was a brief period of “reform movements” with the emphasis on “modernization” and “industrialization” of China. Like their contemporaries, many of the Li Yong-Shong’s nephews (the Zu generation), almost all from the Kun branch, went oversea for education. They came back to China with new ideas and new knowledge. They went into banking, pharmaceuticals, railroad, mining, engineering, chemical (household products), printing, insurance, constructions (heavy and light), fishery, entertainment, etc. Furthermore, they branched out to all the major cities of China. Thus, the old “XGLS” family enterprise was changed into many different individual ventures

During their time, Li Yong-Shong and his cousins maintained a very close “family” relationship, and remained to be a traditional “Chinese family”. They jointly participated in business dealings. They helped each other whenever a “family misfortune” or a need arose. They had frequent family gathering. At Qing-Ming festivals, they all went back to the family village to visit and pay respect to their ancestors. Although cousins in relationship, they addressed each other as “brothers”. All these “traditions” were maintained and passed onto the next generation, the “Zu” cousins.

By 1931, at the age of 60 years, Li Yong-Shong went into retirement. There was no “designated” successor. And, so the old “Li Family Enterprise” quietly came to an end. But, the name and the reputation of “XGLS” continued on; if anything, even more “famous” than ever, and remained well known in China, and outside of China. Thus, looking back, this time period would be the historical “apex” of the XGLS.

Then, came the invasion of China by the Japanese (1937) and subsequent Second World War (1941). In late 1937, the city of Shanghai, the “power-base” of XGLS, fell into the control of the Japanese. Many of the XG Li cousins and their businesses became dispersed or closed. Li Yong-Shong, already retired for six years, remained in Shanghai. Back in the home village of Xiao-Gang, Li Family Compound was totally destroyed by the repeated bombings and subsequent fires. Almost all of the XGLS descendants in Xiao-Gang left their home village for Shanghai.

When the War ended in 1945, Li Yong-Shong was the oldest living member of the XGLS family. Many of his nephews and his sons tried to re-start their factories and businesses. For three or four years, there was a renaissance of the XGLS family. Then, there were the Civil War and the Liberation of the Mainland. By 1949, many of the XG Li members once again dispersed and relocated to Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas.

Back in the early 20^th century, many of the youngsters of the XGLS (of the Zu generation) went overseas for study. Upon completion of their studies, they all returned and joined in the modernization and industrialization of China. With the “family” backing and support, they became quite successful in their chosen professional fields. One generation later, by the mid 20^th century, another group of the youngsters of XGLS (now the Ming generation) left and relocated elsewhere. When they finished their studies, they could not return, or they elected not to return, to China. That group eventually settled in many different foreign lands, where they established their “businesses” and started their “families”. They became engineers, scientists, architects, designers, artists, small-business persons, physicians, etc. Whereas they did well within their own individual fields of interest, none had the “entrepreneurs” spirit of their fathers and grandfathers. They are now all “individuals” with the family name of Li (or Lee). But, they did not have the backing or the support of the XGLS of the past. They and their children became, and remained as, “strangers” in the “foreign” lands.

Similar changes took place within China. After the Liberation of China, the XGLS family members were also dispersed throughout the many cities and territories in China. All the family businesses and real estate holdings were “nationalized”. Even worse, they lost their inter-family contacts and connections. They, and their children, also became strangers among their peers. The “family unity”, the “family cohesiveness”, the “family spirit” and the “family identity” of the past were all lost.

In the recent years, there has been a renewed interest among the XGLS family members, now belonging to the “Ming” generation. It started with the revision of the XGLS Family Book in 1992. Then, there was the project of building of the “Qian-Kun Pavilion” in the home village of Xiao-Gang, now known as the Bei-Lun District. With the generous support and encouragement of the local government officials, the two cousins (William Ming-Sing Lee and Wang Li-Li) led the “drive”. The Pavilion was successfully completed in late1996. To celebrate the occasion, a “family reunion” was held in the spring of 1997. Over 100 family members, covering five generations, joined in the celebration. The XGLS family book was further revised in 1997. An Internet website, <http://.xgls@vicp.net>, was started. A second family reunion was held in 2004.

Of more significance, in the recent years, increasing number of the “Ming” generation members from over-seas, and their children, (the Wei generation), have returned to visit Shanghai and China. A few have decided to remain and have started their business ventures in China.

The “future” of the XGLS will be in the hands of the “Wei” generation. Will the “new” XGLS rise again? Only time will tell.