Finding Fool's Garden

The story structure of this book is adapted from Lai Qijian's academic article "Rambutan in the Frame", which parallels the stories of two generations of new immigrants moving to Singapore. Using "lychee" and "rambutan", two hometown and local fruits, as metaphors, it explores the social integration, self-identity and cultural identity of new immigrants.

Yuqu Garden is a legendary rambutan garden. The garden's owner, Han Huaizhun, emigrated from his native Hainan Island to Southeast Asia. With only a primary school education, he achieved expert status in chemistry, archaeology, historical geography, photography, ceramics, and botany through hard work, continuous self-study, and ingenuity. In 1936, he purchased two and a half acres of land on Upper Thomson Road in Singapore and cultivated a rambutan garden. Longing for the lychees of his homeland, he developed a rambutan that tasted like lychees. The area's fame for rambutans attracted many literati and painters of the time. Both the renowned painter Xu Beihong and the writer Yu Dafu wrote inscriptions praising rambutans.

About 90 years later, Ye Fengan and his wife came to Singapore from Guangdong, China, to provide their son with a good education. Like Han Huaizhun, Ye Fengan missed the fruits of his hometown. While buying lychees, he met a local fruit vendor, and thus began his journey to "find Yuqu Garden."

Xu Fengding (illustrator)

Singaporean graphic novel author and illustrator. Graduated from the Department of Visual Communications at the London College of Graphic Arts in 1994, he began experimenting with graphic novels in 1996. The French translation of his illustration, "Gone Case," was published by Steinkis Éditions in 2016. In 2012, he co-authored the graphic novel "Ten Sticks and One Rice," with author Hu Yonghui, which won the Bronze Award at the 7th Japan International Manga Awards. He contributed to the book "Building Memories" for Singapore's 50th anniversary celebrations of independence, winning the "Book of the Year" and "Best Non-Fiction Illustration" awards at the 2017 Singapore Book Awards. Another graphic novel he co-wrote and produced, "The Brook's Clown," was shortlisted for the "Book of the Year" and "Best Cover Design" awards at the 2020 Singapore Book Awards.

By Hu Yonghui (Article)

Singaporean entrepreneur and graphic novelist. Between 2012 and 2017, he collaborated with Xu Fengding on three graphic novels: Ten Sticks and One Rice , The Garden of Foolish Indulgences , and Coalition of The Savoury Spare Parts .

Lin Weidi

Founder of Monsoon Culture and Director of Grassroots Bookstore, Singapore.