Oh Kell to me it sounds like it could be a combination of things: him picking up on the home situation, over stimulation of the centre and his personality.

I also understand how hard it is in reality to shop around for another centre or kinder... most have waiting lists for a start... and the paperwork and planning needed for each one is incredible. You can't just "try out" a series of other centres... they won't let you leave your child there unless they are fully enrolled... and that costs money too. So, if you have faith in this centre then I'd stay put. Do you have a good intuitive feeling about it? Do you like the staff? If so then maybe try a few other options... like taking up Div's suggestions of dropping Liijie off with Ned. Maybe a bit more distraction could work? During the predictable sobbing times maybe do things a little differently... maybe dress him somewhere a bit different each morning... just to keep him guessing... dress him in your bedroom... or the lounge room... so that instead of thinking "mum's dressing me for the centre" he'll be thinking "why is mum dressing me in her bedroom?". This is what I tried when my 3yo (at the time) was wailing "I don't want to go to kiiiiinder" every moring last year. It ended up that I decided to dress him in front of the TV... ABC Kids to the rescue LOL it didn't work every time... but a good percentage of the time he was so engrossed in Thomas The Tank Engine to forget about his distress at being dressed for kinder. Just a temporary solution... now we have a "no tv before kinder rule" because things have settled down.

Does the centre have a communication book? Marydean made a good point about how the actual room can make or break a centre for some kids. It's not too noisey is it?

What's the plan over summer? Will he keep going or do you have a break planned? I have found my kids do a alot of growing (physically and emotionally) over the summer months. Fingers crossed that Liijie will move through this anxiety over summer and settle into a happier pattern next year. In the meantime possibly the best thing you can do is muster all your inner resources and exude calmness with dealing with his anxiety. He might also be picking up on yours... remember to look into his eyes with all the calmness and happiness that you can find. Not a super happy "everything is rosey" approach... just keep telling him that you understand but remind him that everything will be ok... don't soothe him constantly in a way that implies that his fears are kind of justified... if you have faith in the centre make sure this trust is conveyed. I hope this hasn't come across as condescending... it such a subtle thing, hard to express. But well done on being so tuned in to your son's needs