China was in turmoil, encroached externally by the Western Powers and racked internally by the Taiping Rebellion, and many young men were eager to head overseas to earn a living.
那時的中國正陷於天災人禍中，外有西方武力的侵犯、內有太平天國作亂；又由於中國南方接觸外人的時間較早，且因靠海而蘊育了冒險的精神，在人口過剩與外地高薪資的吸引下，多數青壯年願赴海外謀生，前夏威夷州參議員鄺友良的父親就是其中之一。