The settlers of the Kongsi elected Low as their first leader, and Mandor was made Lanfang's capital city. The kongsi established relationships, even alliances, with nearby kingdoms, including with Sultan Abdurrahman of the Pontianak Sultanate. Lanfang was devoid of standing military. It did, however, have a defense ministry, with national militia being administered on conscription.
Despite being a kongsi, Lanfang adhered to many Chinese traditions, including the founding year of the republic being made the first year of the calendar. Low also reported to the Qing authorities about the establishment of the republic and even paid tribute to the emperor. During peacetime, Lanfang focused on farming, production, trading, and mining. Its administrative divisions were divided into three tiers, namely province, prefecture, and county. Leaders were elected for all levels of governance.
Low continued to rule Lanfang until his death in 1795. After the death of Low, the citizens of Lanfang elected Jiang Wubo. Lanfang had a total of twelve leaders. It continued to advance in agricultural techniques, mine production, cultural education, and military training.
The Qing dynasty grew weak in the mid-to-late 19th century. This regression in power affected Lanfang, which, in the end, fell to the Dutch. Lin Ah Sin was the last leader of the kongsi. With the help of the local Dayaks, he led the Mandor community in resisting the Dutch. Alas, they were substantially overpowered due to poor weaponry. A significant number of its remaining populace fled to Sumatra and Singapore.
The Dutch did not formally annex Lanfang until 1912 as they feared Qing's intervention. While it controlled the lands previously owned by the kongsi, it established a puppet regime. Only after the collapse of the Qing dynasty did the Dutch formally proclaim their occupation.