'The
history of
Hong Kong' began as a coastal
island geographically located in southern
China. While pockets of settlements had taken place in the region with archaeological findings dating back thousands of years, regularly written records were not made until the engagement of and the
British Colony in the territory. Starting out as a fishing village, salt production site and trading ground, it would evolve into a military port of strategic importance and eventually an international
financial centre that enjoys the world's 14th highest
GDP (PPP) per capita, supporting 33% of the foreign capital flows into
China.
[1]
Prehistoric Era
Main articles: Pre-history of Hong Kong
Archaeological findings suggest human activity in Hong Kong dates back over 5000 years. Bronze fishing and combat tools of
Yuet people during
Bronze Age have been excavated on
Lantau Island and
Lamma Island. Stone religious carvings on outlying islands and coastal areas have also been found, possibly related
Che people in
Neolithic. The latest findings dating from the
Paleolithic suggest that
Wong Tei Tung (黃地峒) is one of the most ancient settlements in Hong Kong.
Imperial China Era (221 BC - 1800s)
Main articles: History of Hong Kong under Imperial China
The territory was incorporated into
China during the
Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC), and the area was firmly consolidated under
Nam Yuet (203 BC - 111 BC.) Archaeological evidence indicates that the population has increased since the
Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220). In the 1950s, the
tomb at Lei Cheng Uk from the
Eastern Han Dynasty (25 – 220) was excavated and archaeologists began to investigate the possibility that salt production flourished in Hong Kong around 2000 years ago, although conclusive evidence has not been found.
Tai Po Hoi, the sea of
Tai Po, was a major
pearl hunting harbour in China since Han Dynasty. The activities peaked during the
Southern Han (917 to 971) and continued till
Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644)
During the
Tang Dynasty, the Guangdong region flourished as an international trading center. The ''Tuen Mun'' region in what is now Hong Kong's
New Territories served as a port, naval base, salt production centre and later, base for the exploitation of pearls.
Lantau Island was also the
salt production centre where the salt
smugglers riots broke out against the government.
In
1276 during the
Mongol invasion, the
Southern Song Dynasty court moved to
Fujian, then to
Lantau Island and later to today's
Kowloon City, but the child emperor,
Zhao Bing, after being defeated in the
Battle of Yamen, committed suicide by drowning with his officials.
Tung Chung valley, named after a hero who gave up his life for the emperor, is believed to have been a base for the court.
Hau Wong, an official of the emperor is still worshipped in Hong Kong today.
However, during the Mongol period, Hong Kong saw its first population boom as Chinese refugees entered the area. Five
clans of
Hau (Hou, 候),
Tang (Deng, 鄧),
Pang (Peng, 彭) and
Liu (Liao, 廖) and
Man (Wen, 文) were claimed to be among the earliest recorded familial settlers of Hong Kong. Despite the immigration and light development of agriculture, the area was hilly and relatively barren. People had to rely on salt, pearl and fishery trades to produce income. Some clans built
walled villages to protect themselves from the threat of bandits, rival clans and wild animals. The famous Chinese
pirate Cheung Po Tsai also had many legendary stories in Hong Kong.
The last dynasty in China,
Qing Dynasty, would also be the last to come in contact with Hong Kong. As a military outpost and trading port, the Hong Kong territory would gain the attention of the world.
Colonial Hong Kong Era (1800s - 1930s)
Main articles: History of Colonial Hong Kong (1800s - 1930s)
By the beginning of the
19th century, the British Empire had become heavily dependent upon the importation of tea from China. While the British exported to China luxurious items like clocks and watches, there was an overwhelming imbalance between the trades. China developed a strong demand for silver, which would become a difficult commodity to come by in large quantities for the British. The counterbalance of trades would come with illegal
opium entering China.
Lin Zexu would become the Chinese commissioner who voiced to
Queen Victoria the Qing state's opposition to the unlawful opium trade. It resulted in the
Opium Wars, which spawned British victories over China and the cession of Hong Kong to the United Kingdom via the enactment of the new treaties.
After the territorial settlements, the achievements of the era would set the foundation for the culture and everything having to do with modern Hong Kong for years to come. The territory would transition from
Hong Kong and China Gas Company to the
first electric company.
Rickshaws would transition to
bus,
ferries,
trams and
airline[2], there was no shortage of improvements. Every industry was going through major transformation and growth. Other vital establishments include the change in philosophy starting with a western-style education with
Frederick Stewart[3], which would be a critical step in separating Hong Kong from mainland China during the political turmoil associated with the falling
Qing dynasty. The monumental start of the financial powerhouse industry of the far east would begin with the
first large scale bank[4]. The period is also challenged by the onslaught of the
Third Pandemic of
Bubonic Plague changing the view of importance of the
first hospital. On the outbreak of
World War I in
1914, fear of a possible attack on the colony led to an exodus of 60,000 Chinese. Statistically Hong Kong's population would continue to boom in the following decades from 530,000 in
1916 to 725,000 in
1925. Nonetheless the crisis in mainland China in the
1920s and
1930s would leave Hong Kong vulnerable to a strategic invasion from
Japan.
Japanese Occupation Era (1940s)
Main articles: Battle of Hong Kong,
Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong
Hong Kong was occupied by
Japanese from
25 December 1941 to
15 August 1945. The period, called '3 years and 8 months' halted the economy. The British, Canadians, Indians and the Hong Kong Volunteer Defense Forces resisted the Japanese invasion commanded by
Sakai Takashi which started on
December 8,
1941, eight hours after the
attack on Pearl Harbor. Japanese achieved
air superiority on the first day of battle and the defensive forces were outnumbered. The British and the Indians retreated from the
Gin Drinker's Line and consequently from
Kowloon under heavy aerial bombardment and artillery barrage. Fierce fighting continued on
Hong Kong Island; the only
reservoir was lost. Canadian
Winnipeg Grenadiers fought at the crucial
Wong Nai Chong Gap that secured the passage between downtown and the secluded southern parts of the island.
On
December 25,
1941 - which has gone down in history as ''Black Christmas'' to local people - British colonial officials headed by the
Governor of Hong Kong,
Mark Aitchison Young, surrendered in person at the Japanese headquarters on the third floor of
the Peninsula Hotel.
Isogai Rensuke became the first Japanese governor of Hong Kong.
During the Japanese occupation,
hyper-inflation and
food rationing became the norm of daily lives. It became unlawful to own
Hong Kong Dollars, which were replaced by the
Japanese Military Yen, a currency without reserves issued by the
Imperial Japanese Army administration. Some estimate that as many as 10,000 women were raped in the first few days after Hong Kong's capture and large number of suspected dissidents were executed. Philip Snow, a prominent historian of the period, said that the Japanese cut rations for civilians to conserve food for soldiers, usually to starvation levels and deported many to famine- and disease-ridden areas of the
mainland. Most of the repatriated actually had come to Hong Kong just a few years earlier to flee the terror of the
Second Sino-Japanese War in mainland China.
By the end of the war in 1945, the population of Hong Kong shrunk to 600,000, less than half of the pre-war population of 1.6 million. The
communist takeover of
mainland China in
1949 led to another population boom in Hong Kong. Thousands of
refugees emigrated from
mainland China to Hong Kong, and made it an important entrepôt until the
United Nations ordered a
trade embargo on mainland China due to the
Korean War. More refugees came during the
Great Leap Forward.
Modern Hong Kong under British rule (1950s - 1997)
The 1950s
Main articles: 1950s in Hong Kong
Skills and capital brought by
refugees of Mainland China, especially from
Shanghai, along with a vast pool of cheap labor helped revive the economy. At the same time, many foreign firms relocated their offices from Shanghai to Hong Kong. Enjoying unprecedented growth Hong Kong would transform from a territory of
entrepôt trade to industrial and manufacturing. The early industrial centers, where many of the workers spent the majority of their days, turned out anything that could be produced with small space from
buttons,
artificial flowers,
umbrellas,
textile,
enamelware,
footware to
plastics.
Large squatter camps developed throughout the territory providing homes for the massive number of growing immigrants. The camps, however, posed a fire and health hazard, leading to disasters like the
Shek Kip Mei fire. Governor
Alexander Grantham responded with a "multi story buildings" plan as a standard. It was the beginning of the high rise buildings. Conditions in public housing were very basic with several families sharing communal cooking facilities. Other aspects of life would change as traditional
cantonese opera began to overlap
big screen cinemas.
The tourism industry would begin to formalize.
North Point was known as ''"Little Shanghai"'' (小上海), since in the minds of many, it has already become the replacement for the surrendered Shanghai in China
[5].
The 1960s
Main articles: 1960s in Hong Kong
The manufacturing industry opened a new decade utilizing large portions of the population. The period is considered the first turning point for Hong Kong's economy. The construction business would also be revamped with new detailed guidelines for the first time since
World War II. While Hong Kong started out with a low
GDP, it would use the
textile industry as the foundation to boost the economy. China's
cultural revolution would put Hong Kong on a new political stage. Events like the
1967 riot would fill the streets with
home-made bombs and chaos. Bomb disposal experts from the police and the
British military defused as many as 8,000 home-made bombs. Statistics rated 1 in every 8 bombs were genuine
[6].
Family values and Chinese tradition would be challenged like never before as people spent more time in the factories than at home. Other obstacles include water shortages, long working hours coupled with extremely low wages were all trademarks of the era. The
Hong Kong Flu of
1968 would infect 15% of the population
[7]. Amidst all the struggle, "Made in Hong Kong" went from a label that marked cheap low-grade products to a label that marked high-quality products
[8].
The 1970s
Main articles: 1970s in Hong Kong
The 1970s also saw the extension of
government subsidised education from six years to nine years and the creation of Hong Kong's
country parks system.
The opening of the mainland Chinese market and rising salaries drove many manufacturers north. Hong Kong consolidated its position as a commercial and
tourism centre in the South-East Asia region. High
life expectancy,
literacy, per-capita income and other socioeconomic measures attest to Hong Kong's achievements over the last four decades of the 20th Century. Higher income also led to the introduction of the first
private housing estates with
Taikoo Shing. The period saw a boom in residential high rises, many of the people's homes became part of Hong Kong's skyline and scenary.
In
1974,
Murray McLehose founded
ICAC, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, in order to combat corruption within the
police force. The extent of corruption was so widespread that a mass police petition took place resisting prosecutions. Despite early opposition to the ICAC by the police force, Hong Kong was quite successful in its anti-
corruption efforts, eventually becoming one of the
least corrupt societies in the world.
The 1980s
Main articles: 1980s in Hong Kong
In
1982, the British Prime Minister,
Margaret Thatcher, hoped that the increasing openness of the PRC government and the
economic reform in the mainland would allow the continuation of British rule. The resulting meeting, led to the signing of
Sino-British Joint Declaration and the proposal of the
One country, two systems concept by
Deng Xiaoping. Political news dominated the media, while
real estate took a major upswing. The financial world would also be rattled by panics, leading to waves of policy changes and
Black Saturday. Meanwhile Hong Kong was now recognized as one of the most wealthy representative of the far east. At the same time, the warnings of the 1997
handover raised
emigration statistics to an all new historical level. Many would leave Hong Kong for
United States,
Canada,
United Kingdom and any other destination with no communist influence.
Hong Kong's Cinema would enjoy one paramount run that would put it on the international map. Some of the biggest names included
Jackie Chan,
Chow Yun-Fat. The music world also saw a new group of
cantopop stars like
Anita Mui and
Leslie Cheung. But everything seemed to be overshadowed by an uncertainty of the future.
The 1990s
Main articles: 1990s in Hong Kong,
Transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong
On
April 4,
1990, the
Hong Kong Basic Law was officially accepted as the mini-constitution of the Hong Kong SAR after the handover. The pro-Beijing bloc welcomed the Basic Law, calling it the most democratic legal system to ever exist in the PRC. The pro-democratic bloc criticized it as not democratic enough. In July 1992,
Chris Patten was appointed as the last British
Governor of Hong Kong. Patten had been Chairman of the
Conservative Party in the UK until he lost his parliamentary seat in the
general election earlier that year. Relations with the PRC government in Beijing became increasingly strained, as Patten introduced democratic reforms that increased the number of elected members in the
Legislative Council. This caused considerable annoyance to the PRC, which saw this as a breach of the Basic Law. On
July 1,
1997 Hong Kong was handed over to the People's Republic of China by the United Kingdom. The old Legislative Council, elected under Chris Patten's reforms, was replaced by the Provisional Legislative Council elected by a selection committee whose members were appointed by the PRC government.
Tung Chee Hwa, elected in December by a selection committee with members appointed by the PRC government, assumed duty as the first
Chief Executive of Hong Kong.
{|class="wikitable"
! width=50% | Unchanged after 1997
! width=50% | Changed after 1997
|-valign=top
|
#English is still taught in all schools. However, many schools teach in
Cantonese in parallel with
Chinese and
English.
#The border with the mainland continued to be patrolled as before.
#Hong Kong remained an individual member of various international organizations, such as the
IOC,
APEC and
WTO.
#Hong Kong continues to negotiate and maintain its own aviation bilateral treaties with foreign countries and territories. Flights between Hong Kong and China mainland are treated as international flights (or more commonly known as inter-territorial flights in China mainland).
#Hong Kong SAR passport holders had easier access to countries in
Europe and
North America, while mainland citizens did not. Citizens in mainland China can only apply for a visa to Hong Kong from the PRC Government. Many former colonial citizens can still use
British National (Overseas) and
British citizen passports after 1997. (''Main article:
British nationality law and Hong Kong'')
#It continued to have more political freedoms than the
mainland China, including
freedom of the press.
#Cars in Hong Kong, unlike those in mainland China, continue to
drive on the left.
#Electrical plugs (
BS1363), TV transmissions (
PAL-I) and many other technical standards from the United Kingdom are still utilised in Hong Kong. However, telephone companies ceased installing
British Standard BS 6312 telephone sockets in Hong Kong. HK also adopts the digital TV standard devised in mainland China. (''Main article:
Technical standards in colonial Hong Kong'')
#Hong Kong retains a separate
international dialing code (852) and
telephone numbering plan from that of the
mainland. calls between Hong Kong and the mainland still require international dialling.
#The former British way of drill, marching and words of command in English continued in all disciplinary services including all civil organizations. The
PLA soldiers of the Chinese Garrison in Hong Kong have their own drills and Mandarin words of command.
#All statues of British monarchs like Queen Victoria and King George remain.
||
#All public offices now fly the
flags of the PRC and the
Hong Kong SAR. The
Union Flag now flies only outside the British Consulate-General and other British premises.
#
Queen Elizabeth II's portrait disappeared from
banknotes,
postage stamps and public offices. As of 2007, some pre-1997 coins and banknotes are still in circulation.
#The 'Royal' title was dropped from almost all organisations that had been granted it, with the exception of the
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.
#Legal references to the 'Crown' were replaced by references to the 'State', and
barristers who had been appointed
Queen's Counsel would now be known as
Senior Counsel.
#
Public holidays changed, with the
Queen's Official Birthday and other British-inspired occasions being replaced by PRC National Day and Hong Kong SAR Establishment Day.
#All the red
Royal Mail pillar boxes were removed from the streets of Hong Kong and replaced by green
Hongkong Post boxes.
#British citizens (without right of abode in HK) are no longer able to work in Hong Kong for one year without a visa, this practice was discontinued on
April 1,
1997.
#Secondary education will move away from the English model of five years secondary schooling plus two years of university matriculation to the Chinese model of three years of junior secondary plus another three years of senior secondary. University education will extend from three years to four.
|-
Modern Hong Kong under China (post 1997 - Present)
Hong Kong, 2000s
The 2000s
Main articles: 2000s in Hong Kong
The new millennium would signal a series of events. A sizeable portion of the population who were previously against the handover found themselves living with the adjustments.
Article 23 became a controversy, and led to a
marches in different parts of Hong Kong with as many as 750,000 people out of a population of approximately 6,800,000 at the time. The government also dealt with the
SARS outbreak in
2003. Other health crisis such as the
Bird Flu Pandemic gained momentum from the late 90s, and led to the disposal of millions of chicken and poultry. The slaughtering put Hong Kong at the center of global discussions. At the same time, the economy is trying to rebound fiscally.
Hong Kong Disneyland was also introduced in the much turbulent time. In a very short time, the political climate heated up and the
Chief Executive position would be challenged culturally, politically and managerially.
See also
★
History of China (
timeline)
★
History of the People's Republic of China
★
British Empire
★
British nationality law and Hong Kong
★
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (1801-1854)
★
Secretary of State for the Colonies (1768-1782 and 1854-1966)
★
Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs (1966-1968)
★
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (since 1968)
★
Governor of Hong Kong
★
Declared monuments of Hong Kong
★
Museums in Hong Kong
Further reading
★ Linda Butenhoff: ''Social movements and political reform in Hong Kong,'' Westport, Conn. [u.a.] : Praeger 1999, ISBN 0-275-96293-8
External links
★
Hong Kong Museum of History website
★
A speech script on history of Hong Kong
★
Bibliography of Hong Kong Archaeology on the University of Hong Kong website
★
"Story of the Stanford family and the effect of the fall of Hong Kong in 1941."
★ Sidney C. H. Cheung,
Martyrs, Mystery and Memory Behind the Colonial Shift - Anti-British resistance movement in 1899
References
1. CIA gov. "CIA." ''HK GDP 2004.'' Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
2. Wiltshire, Trea. [First published 1987] (republished & reduced 2003). Old Hong Kong - Volume One. Central, Hong Kong: Text Form Asia books Ltd. ISBN Volume One 962-7283-59-2
3. Bickley, Gillian. [1997](1997). The Golden Needle: The Biography of Frederick Stewart (1836-1889). Hong Kong. ISBN 962-8027085
4. Lim, Patricia. [2002] (2002). Discovering Hong Hong's Cultural Heritage. Central, Hong Kong: Oxford University Press. ISBN Volume One 0-19-592723-0
5. Wordie, Jason. [2002] (2002) Streets: Exploring Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 962-2095631
6. Wiltshire, Trea. [First published 1987] (republished & reduced 2003). Old Hong Kong - Volume Three. Central, Hong Kong: Text Form Asia books Ltd. Page 12. ISBN Volume Three 962-7283-61-4
7. Starling, Arthur. [2006] (2006) Plague, SARS, and the Story of Medicine in Hong Kong. HK University Press. ISBN 9622098053
8. Buckley, Roger. [1997] (1997). Hong Kong: The Road to 1997 By Roger Buckley. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521469791
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