Hong Kong shows up on the stage of history -- either Chinese history or British history or whatever -- virtually since late nineteenth century. It is hard to look for books or stories on Hong Kong before British colonization, and I could find only a little information of early Hong Kong history. Of course there is some information on old Hong Kong, and I could find a book in the library, titled "Hsiang-kang ku tai shih," meaning the ancient history of Hong Kong. Unfortunately, the book is written in Chinese, and my Chinese ability is not yet good enough to read it, so I gave it up. Here is another reason that we should learn foreign languages -- sometimes we can only obtain precious knowledge only from a certain language.

Anyway, according to Endacott, "its real history begins with the trading relations between China and the West, which had been centred mainly at Canton since the end of seventeenth century (Endacott 1973:2)." People inhabited in the land now called Hong Kong before then, but it consisted of small fishing villages with small population. "Up to the nineteenth century it remained sparsely populated. Small villages maintained a livelihood by fishing, by cultivation of the scanty soil available, and by casual preying on coastal shipping (Endacott 1973:3)."

One anecdote I found interesting is this. There used to be many people who earned their living by making salts, fishing natural pearls and cultivating trees that has good smell. These trees were burned to make good smell. Because a climate in Hong Kong suited these trees, which were originally brought from Vietnam, people grew them a lot in now called Lantau Island and Shatin in New Territories. These trees were carried out from seaports around Aberdeen. Before long this seaport area where the air is scented with good-smell trees came to be called, Xiang (smell) Gang (port), that is Hong Kong in Chinese character. It is said that Xiang Gang came to be used to call the whole Hong Kong later (GIO GLOBE TROTTER:488).


British Takes Over Hong Kong
Trade between Europe and China had been taking place since the 16th century. British imports from China were much more than exports by late 18th century, causing the British trade deficit. The custom of tea break, which started at the royal family in England in 17th century, had become common among people by late 18th century. Thus tea, silk and Chinese pottery were bought by the British who paid for them in silver. To pay off the deficit, the British brought in opium. They grew opium at British state corporation, East India Company, and exported huge amouts of opium to China. As silver drained out of country, the emperor banned the drug trade. However, the British, "with the help of corrupt Chinese officials, managed to keep the trade in opium going until 1839, when the emperor again issued orders to stamp it out (Lonely Planet)."

The British sent an expeditionary force to China as a reprisal that is known as the Opium War, and they occupied Hong Kong Island in 1841. The British forced China to cede Hong Kong Island in perpetuity, and it formally became British territory in 1842. "A series of conflicts followd, with the British backed by French, Russian and American interests. A combined British and French force invaded China in 1859, forcing the Chinese to agree to the Convention of Peking, which ceded the Kowloon Peninsula and nearby Stonecutters Island to the British. In 1898, the British also gained a 99-year lease on the New Territories (under second Convention of Peking), which they felt essential to protect their interests on Hong Kong Island (Lonely Planet)."


Hong Kong Changes
Prior to World War II, Hong Kong began to change its primary industry from trade to manufacturing. This shift was hastened by Chinese capitalists who left mainland for the colony seeking safer confines during the civil war in China in the1920s and Japanese invasion in the 1930s. In addition, "when the U.S. embargo on Chinese goods during the Korean War threatened to strangle the colony, it was forced to increase its manufacturing capacity and develop service industries, such as banking and insurance (Lonely Planet)."


Hong Kong under Japanese Occupation
Hong Kong fell under the Japanese occupation from December 1941 through August 1945. It is not well known, but Japan started to invade Hong Kong on December 8, 1941, when it attacked Perl Harbor. Japanese troops invaded into Hong Kong from South coast China, occupied Kowloon, blockaded the sea, and approached Hong Kong island. British troops shut themselves up on the island, but the British surrendered on 25th after severe battles such as the one at Repulse Bay.

During its three years and eight months occupation, the Japanese requisitioned The Peninsula (hotel) in Tsim Sha Tsui and placed military government. They constructed Hong Kong Shrine (but did not completed) in Victoria Peak. They also changed streets' name into Japanese name. They caused inflation by overissuing military notes, and as the war became unfavorable to Japan, foods run short resulting in stavating many people. Consequently, over one million people run away from Hong Kong.

Japan finally surrendered on August 15, 1945. To commemerate this date, the last Monday of August is still a holiday in Hong Kong. (GIO GLOBE TROTTER)


Hong Kong Returns to China
On December 19, 1984, the British agreed to hand over the entire colony to China when the lease on the New Territories expired in 1997, rather than sticking on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula. Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on July 1, 1997. Under China's "One Country, Two Systems" policy, Hong Kong has its own constitution (the Basic Law) and still enjoys a high degree of autonomy from the rest of China except for foreign and defense affairs. According to general interpretation, Hong Kong will be unchanged in terms of economic and social systems and way of life for at least 50 years from the date of the return althgouth some people doubt that interpretation.

"Hong Kong has suffered fallout from Asia's economic crises, and has experienced rising unemployment, falling property prices and close to zero growth. However there is hope of economic recovery with the announcement of Hong Kong Disneyland to be opened in 2005. This will be the government's biggest spending commitment since Chek Lap Kok airport. The European Commission recently described Hong Kong as one of the freest societies in Asia despite not having full democracy. It appears, on the surface that little has changed since the handover (Lonely Planet)."