All things old China - books, anecdotes, stories, podcasts, factoids & ramblings from the author Paul French

The Junkman Smiles and Botel Tobago

Posted: July 21st, 2023 | No Comments »

I found myself browsing through GRG Worcester’s memoir of his years as a Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs Officer, The Junkman Smiles. Published in 1959 it is about the first half of the twentieth century, or just before WW1, concluding with the author and his wife being interned by the Japanese in China. If you have a particularl interest in junks, traditional Chinese sailing craft of the intricasies of the customs then this might be the book for you, otherwise it is, I fear, a little dull.

But it does have a great frontpiece map…and among a few other little idiosyncracies it also identifies Botel Tobago, which you don’t see on many maps.

Botel Tobago is an island off the southern coast of Taiwan more often referred to in English as Orchid Island (Tao as Ma’ataw, Irala and Tabako are other alternative names). The Chinese knew it as “Redhead Island” (Hung-t’ou YĆ¼). Botel Tobago is the original name used for the island by the Philippines and was formerly the mostly common attributed name by English language sources. There is also a smaller island off the southern coast of Botel Tobago known as Little Botel Tobago.

Not much goes on on Botel Tobago – mostly fishing and a Taipower nuclear waste facility. When a 7-Eleven opened on the island in 2014 it was big news. There’s a small airport and a ferry from Houbihu port in Kenting.

Botel Tobago fishermen, c.1931


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