What did Nanyang mean before liberation?

Nanyang is the name of Southeast Asia in Ming and Qing Dynasties, and it is a concept centered on China. Include Malay Archipelago, Philippine Archipelago and Indonesian Archipelago, as well as the coastal areas of Indo-China Peninsula and Malay Peninsula. During the Qing Dynasty, the coastal area south of Jiangsu was also called "Nanyang" (the coastal area north of Jiangsu was called Beiyang). At the end of the Qing Dynasty, a "Nanyang Minister" was set up to manage various affairs. The concept of Nanyang corresponds to the West Sea, the East China Sea and the North Sea. The west refers to the Indian Ocean area west of the Straits of Malacca, including Europe or beyond. The Qing dynasty once referred to European and American countries. The east refers to Japan in particular. The word Nanyang is rarely used in Chinese mainland at present. However, some names of China and Southeast Asia still use the word Nanyang. China's names are Xiamen Nanyang College and Nanyang Model Middle School. Southeast Asian names such as Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Some enterprises also use the word Nanyang. Nanyang Islands refers to Indonesia Islands. In ancient China, the Han nationality began to emigrate to Nanyang. During the Ming Dynasty and after its demise, a large number of Han immigrants flooded into this area to make a living and settle down, which was called "going to Nanyang" in history. The Han nationality established a series of political power.