The History of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, located along the Pearl River Delta, lies along the Chinese province of Guangdong. With a population of 6.9 million and only approximately 415 square miles of land, Hong Kong is considered to be one of the most densely populated areas in the world.  It also has a rich history.

Archaeologists have found stone tools that they believe date back over 30,000 years. The earliest recorded European visitor was Portuguese mariner Jorge Alvares in 1513.  Although humans were there long before, the actual name Hong Kong doesn't appear in writing until the Treaty of Nanking in 1842.

The land was settled by the Han Chinese during the seventh century A.D. and the region known as Tuen Mun was a port, naval base, salt production center, and also used to harvest pearls.  By 1699, the British East India Company had made its first trip to China and shortly thereafter, Hong Kong began to trade with British merchants . 

However, by 1839, Chinese government and the British were fighting over free trade , particularly that of opium, and the First Opium War raged until 1841.  In the Treaty of Nanking, which was signed in 1842, the Chinese agreed to make Hong Kong a crown colony, giving it to the Queen “in perpetuity.”  This allowed the British traders to have a harbor to trade their goods. 

Unhappy with previous treaty agreements, the Chinese and the British went to war again in 1856.  The British, with the help of the French, won the Second Opium War in 1860 and with it, the Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutter's Islands regions of Hong Kong. In 1898, Britain got a 99 year lease for Lantau Island and its attached northern lands, which eventually became known as the New Territories.

On December 18, 1941, in the midst of World War the Japanese invaded Hong Kong .  Because of food shortages and economic problems, Hong Kong lost almost half of its population.  By 1945, the British had regained control of Hong Kong and it thrived as a distribution center during the late 19th and early 20th century. 

When the communist overtook mainland China in 1949, many people immigrated to Hong Kong .  This helped Hong Kong become a manufacturing, commercial, and tourism center and greatly improved its economy.  As communist China began to close itself off from the rest of the world, Hong Kong remained in contact with the western world.

As the end of the 99 year lease drew near, talks between Britain and China of Hong Kong's future began. In 1984, the two countries signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration , which would transfer sovereignty to China in 1997.  The British government insisted that Hong Kong remain a self-governing region, retaining its laws and autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer. The official transfer occurred on July 1, 1997.

The Hong Kong of today is a global financial capital as well as a major hub for business .  It is also well known for its culture, a delicate mix of both the east and the west.

Here are some excellent Hong Kong resources:

DiscoverHongKong - Official site of the Hong Kong Tourism Board History of Hong Kong - Windows on Asia A Timeline of Hong Kong History