Lanfang Republic

蘭芳共和國

Republic
Tributary state of Qing China

1777–1884

Coat of arms

Capital

possibly Pontianak

Languages

Chinese, Malay

Government

Presidential republic
Kongsi federation

President

•

1777–1795

Luo Fangbo

Historical era

New Imperialism

•

Founding

1777

•

Dutch conquest

1884

Succeeded by

Dutch East Indies

Today part of

Indonesia

Coat of arms

The Lanfang Republic (Chinese: 蘭芳共和國; pinyin: Lánfāng Gònghéguó, Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Làn-fông Khiung-fò-koet) was a Chinese state and kongsi federation in Western Borneo. It was established by a Hakka Chinese named Luo Fangbo (羅芳伯) in 1777, until it was ended by Dutch occupation in 1884. It was one of many tributary states of Qing China. Lanfang Republic is one of the early modern republics in the world.

The sultans of Western Borneo imported Chinese laborers in the 18th century to work in gold or tin mines. A number of mining companies (kongsi) enjoyed some political autonomy, but Lanfang is the best known thanks to a history written by Yap Siong-yoen, the son-in-law of the last kapitan of the Lanfang kongsi, which was translated into Dutch in 1885. None of the other Chinese mining settlements in western Kalimantan left written accounts (Heidhues 2001:169).

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Wikipedia