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112-476: The village settlements in the area, Sheung Yuen Leng ( 上元嶺 ) and Ha Yuen Leng ( 下元嶺 ), predated British colonization , and may have been established as early as the early eighteenth century. There were squatter dwellings ( shanties ) up and down the hill that were demolished after years of effort by the Hong Kong Government . The squatter population peaked at around 50,000 people. Parts of

224-579: A preference for sons , remained prevalent. Nuclear families were the most common households, although multi-generational and extended families were not unusual. In British-ruled Hong Kong, polygamy was legal until 1971 pursuant to the colonial practice of not interfering in local customs that British authorities viewed as relatively harmless to the public order. Spiritual concepts such as feng shui were observed; large-scale construction projects often hired consultants to ensure proper building positioning and layout. The degree of its adherence to feng shui

336-468: A centre for international trade. In the colony's first decade, the revenue from the opium trade was a key source of government funds. The importance of opium reduced over time, but the colonial government was dependent on its revenues until the Japanese occupation in 1941. Although the largest businesses in the early colony were operated by British, American, and other expatriates, Chinese workers provided

448-533: A conduit for international trade shielded it from most PRC pressure during the 1950s. Hong Kong received Chinese refugees - "Rightists" - fleeing the Chinese Civil War and communist persecution. They became cheap labour. Some were recruited in Hong Kong as anti-communist militants. A major cause of the 1956 Hong Kong riots started by "Rightists" was poverty. The response to the riots favoured

560-762: A fast track to the Civil Service . Cadet officers gradually formed the backbone of the civil administration. After the Second World War, ethnic Chinese were allowed into the service, followed by women. Cadets were renamed Administrative Officers in the 1950s, and they remained the elite of the Civil Service during British rule. Prior to and during the Second World War , the garrison was composed of British Army battalions and locally enlisted personnel (LEPs) who served as regular members in

672-622: A forward policy. In March 1857, Palmerston appointed Lord Elgin as Plenipotentiary, with the aim of securing a new and satisfactory treaty. A French expeditionary force joined the British to avenge the execution of a French missionary in 1856. In 1860, the capture of the Taku Forts and occupation of Beijing led to the Treaty of Tientsin and Convention of Peking . In the Treaty of Tientsin,

784-648: A link from Sheung Wan to Wan Chai North and the Eastern Corridor beyond Causeway Bay . It was built as part of the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation and is part of Route 4 . The bypass is toll-free. There are no bridges between the island and Kowloon, although two bridges – the Ap Lei Chau Bridge , a road bridge, and Aberdeen Channel Bridge , part of the South Island line – connect

896-554: A loop linking Causeway Bay and Happy Valley ; the latter is a funicular linking Central District to Victoria Peak . Hong Kong Island has four ferry terminals, them being the Central Ferry Piers , North Point Ferry Pier , Sai Wan Ho Ferry Pier and Wan Chai Ferry Pier . Frequently ferry services are provided from these piers to the Kowloon Peninsula and the outlying islands. A departure terminal,

1008-583: A military administration with himself as its head. He formally accepted the Japanese surrender on 16 September in Government House . Young, upon his return as governor in May 1946, pursued political reform known as the " Young Plan ", believing that, to counter the Chinese government's determination to recover Hong Kong, it was necessary to give local inhabitants a greater stake in the territory by widening

1120-610: A number of theories as to why the misnomer came about, but the most accepted version states that the English name for this area was a simple mistranslation, for in Cantonese , the word " 鑽石 " can mean either "diamonds" or "to drill for rocks". In this case, the area was known as a stone quarry for many years before urban development took place. Due to that, the English name only became a euphemism . There are other theories as to why

1232-609: A population of 1,289,500 and a population density of 16,390 per square kilometre (42,400/sq mi), as of 2023 . It is the second largest island in Hong Kong, with the largest being Lantau Island . Hong Kong Island forms one of the three areas of Hong Kong , with the other two being Kowloon and the New Territories . In 1842, following the Qing dynasty 's defeat at the First Opium War (1839–1842), Hong Kong Island

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1344-525: A revision of the terms. In October 1856, Chinese authorities in Canton detained the Arrow , a Chinese-owned ship registered in Hong Kong to enjoy the protection of the British flag. The Consul in Canton, Harry Parkes , claimed the hauling down of the flag and arrest of the crew were "an insult of very grave character". Parkes and Sir John Bowring , the fourth Governor of Hong Kong , seized the incident to pursue

1456-401: A safe haven for dissidents, political refugees, and officials who lost power. British policy allowed dissidents to live in Hong Kong as long as they did not break local laws or harm British interests. The implementation of this policy varied according to what the senior officials thought constituted British interests and the state of relations with China. The Canton–Hong Kong strike (1925–1926)

1568-705: A separate political system, and the territory's rapid development during the late 20th century. Most migrants of that era fled poverty and war, reflected in the prevailing attitude toward wealth; Hongkongers tended to link self-image and decision-making to material benefits. Residents' sense of local identity remained post-handover, with the majority of the population (52%) identifying as "Hongkongers", while 11% described themselves as "Chinese". The remaining population held mixed identities, 23% as "Hongkonger in China" and 12% as "Chinese in Hong Kong". Traditional Chinese family values, including family honour , filial piety , and

1680-478: Is heavily concentrated along the northern shore. The combined population of Central and Western, Wan Chai, and Eastern is 925,200, giving this urbanised part of the island a density of around 22,500 per km , or 58,000 per mi , in its approximately 41.3 km (15.9 sq mi). The residents living in the Central and Western District and Wan Chai District have the highest median household income compared with

1792-487: Is largely responsible for the development of Hong Kong due to its deep waters favoured by large trade ships. The island is home to many famous tourists sights, such as " The Peak ", Ocean Park , Former Central Police Station Compound , Murray House , and many other historical sites and various large shopping centres. The mountain ranges across the island are also famous for hiking . The northern part of Hong Kong Island, together with Kowloon and Tsuen Wan New Town , forms

1904-402: Is the second-largest island of the territory, the largest being Lantau Island . Its area is 78.59 km (30.34 sq mi), including 6.98 km (2.69 sq mi) of land reclaimed since 1887 and some smaller scale ones since 1851. It makes up approximately 7% of the total territory. It is separated from the mainland of the territory ( Kowloon Peninsula and New Territories ) by

2016-510: The British Cabinet decided that the Chinese should be made to pay for the destruction of British property, either by the threat or use of force. An expeditionary force was placed under Elliot and his cousin, Rear-Admiral George Elliot , as joint plenipotentiaries in 1840. Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston stressed to the Chinese government that the British government did not question China's right to prohibit opium, but it objected to

2128-569: The Cape D'Aguilar Marine Reserve , is located on the southern tip of the island in Cape D'Aguilar . It was opened in July 1996 and has a sea area of approximately 20 hectares. The reserve was set up for the purpose of the conservation of marine resources, scientific studies and education for the appreciation of precious marine resources. Visits to the marine reserve by the public is discouraged, with water sports and costal recreational activities prohibited in

2240-658: The Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom, Field Marshal Sir Charles Guthrie , also attended. Representing China were the CCP General Secretary and President of China , Jiang Zemin ; Premier of China , Li Peng ; and Tung Chee-hwa , the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong . This event was broadcast on television and radio stations across the world. Hong Kong was a Crown colony of

2352-551: The Convention of Chuenpi during the First Opium War . On 20 January, Elliot announced "the conclusion of preliminary arrangements", which included the cession of the barren Hong Kong Island and its harbour to the British Crown . Elliot chose Hong Kong Island instead of Chusan because he believed a settlement nearer to Shanghai would cause an "indefinite protraction of hostilities", whereas Hong Kong Island's harbour

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2464-867: The Emperor of China , then to proceed to the Gulf of Bohai for a treaty, and if the Chinese resisted, then to blockade the key ports of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers. Palmerston demanded a territorial base in the Chusan Islands for trade so that British merchants "may not be subject to the arbitrary caprice either of the Government of Peking, or its local Authorities at the Sea-Ports of the Empire". In 1841, Elliot negotiated with Lin's successor, Qishan , in

2576-524: The First Opium War , the island of Hong Kong was ceded in perpetuity to Great Britain. It was established as a Crown colony in 1843. In 1860, the British expanded the colony with the addition of the Kowloon Peninsula and was further extended in 1898 when the British obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories . Although the Qing had to cede Hong Kong Island and Kowloon in perpetuity as per

2688-765: The Great Hall of the People . The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office at first proposed a list of 60–80 Hong Kong people to attend the ceremony. The number was finally extended to 101. The list included Hong Kong government officials, members of the Legislative and Executive Councils, chairmen of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and Standard Chartered Bank , Hong Kong celebrities such as Li Ka-shing , Pao Yue-kong and Fok Ying-tung , and also Martin Lee Chu-ming and Szeto Wah . The handover ceremony

2800-803: The Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal is located in Sheung Wan to provide turbojet ferry services to Macau . A tourist sightseeing ferry service, branded as the "Water Taxi" is also offered. The ferry service travels in the Victoria Harbour to sightseeing attractions of Hong Kong, such as the Hong Kong Observation Wheel , International Financial Centre , Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, West Kowloon Cultural District and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal . It has 4 drop off points. Public piers are also alongside

2912-519: The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong . Isogai Rensuke became the first Japanese governor of Hong Kong. Hyper-inflation and food rationing followed; and the Japanese declared Hong Kong Dollars illegal. The Japanese enforced a repatriation policy throughout the period of occupation due to the scarcity of food and the possible counter-attack of the Allies. As a result, the unemployed were deported to

3024-517: The Leisure and Cultural Services Department . Due to the early development of Hong Kong Island, many historical buildings can be found on Hong Kong Island. As of 2023, the population of Hong Kong Island is approximately 1,188,500, making up approximately 15.8% of the 7,536,100 in Hong Kong . Its population density is higher than the whole of Hong Kong , c. 18,000 per km . However, the population

3136-907: The Mainland , and the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945. The population of Hong Kong Island grew exponentially after the Second World War and the Communist revolution in China . It became apparent that the lands in the old Central District were insufficient to accommodate the population. Many undeveloped or underdeveloped areas Hong Kong Island such as North Point , Shau Kei Wan , Aberdeen and Wong Chuk Hang began its development and urbanisation. These areas initially started off as industrialised areas, with some areas such as Quarry Bay , Wan Chai and Causeway Bay later becoming new commercial centres when Hong Kong moved away from its period of industrialisation , as these areas provided relatively cheaper rent than

3248-632: The Tseung Kwan O line and road traffic in separate parallel conduits). Besides these harbour crossing tunnels, Hong Kong Island also has two tunnels travelling across the island itself, the Aberdeen Tunnel and Central–Wan Chai Bypass , which were opened in March 1982 and January 2019 respectively. The Aberdeen Tunnel provides a link from Happy Valley and Wong Chuk Hang , with the toll fee being HK$ 5. The Central–Wan Chai Bypass provides

3360-898: The Victoria Harbour . Most hills across the middle of the island are included within the country parks . The main hiking trail on Hong Kong Island is the Hong Kong Trail , which is 50 kilometers long and is divided into 8 sections. The trail starts in Victoria Gap on the peak and ends in Big Wave Bay . Sections 1 and 2 of the Wilson Trail across the New Territories of Hong Kong and Kowloon also passes through Tai Tam Country Park and its Quarry Bay Extension . The only marine reserve in Hong Kong,

3472-585: The Wong Nai Chung Gap on the following day. English, Scottish forces and the Canadian Winnipeg Grenadiers vigorously defended the crucial point of Wong Nai Chung Gap, and for a while successfully secured the passage between Central and the secluded southern parts of the island. Japanese casualties were about 600. However, Allied forces there were ultimately defeated by the Japanese on 23 December, and Wong Nai Chung Reservoir

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3584-781: The great clearance was issued by the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing dynasty , forcing residents in coastal areas of Guangdong , Fujian , Zhejiang , Jiangnan , and Shandong to move in-land, to prevent the loyalists of the Ming dynasty in Formosa from approaching the shores of the Mainland and seek help from residents of the coastal areas. The ban was lifted when the remnants of the Ming dynasty were exterminated in 1669, though not many original residents of Hong Kong Island returned to

3696-458: The land reclamation connecting the island to Causeway Bay in 1969. This suggests that during these periods of times, the island already had its own commercial activity. Song dynasty copper coins served as universal currency in transregional trade. During the Wanli period of the Ming dynasty (1573), Hong Kong Island belonged to the territory of Xin'an County , and remained so until 1661, when

3808-563: The 1980s, films such as A Better Tomorrow , As Tears Go By , and Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain expanded global interest beyond martial arts films ; locally made gangster films, romantic dramas, and supernatural fantasies became popular. Hong Kong cinema continued to be internationally successful over the following decade with critically acclaimed dramas such as Farewell My Concubine , To Live and Wong Kar Wai movies. The city's martial arts film roots were evident in

3920-577: The 1990s, when the Four Heavenly Kings dominated Asian record charts. Despite a general decline since late in the decade, Western classical music historically had a strong presence in Hong Kong and remained a large part of local musical education. The publicly funded Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra , the territory's oldest professional symphony orchestra, frequently hosted musicians and conductors from overseas. The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra , composed of classical Chinese instruments ,

4032-496: The British anticipated a Japanese attack on Hong Kong. As Wong Nai Chung Gap was a strategically important location of defence, large-scale defensive works were constructed there, including anti-aircraft batteries , howitzers and machine gun nests. The Battle of Hong Kong began on 8 December 1941. British , Canadian and Indian armies and the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Forces resisted

4144-706: The British sought to extend Hong Kong for defence. After negotiations began in April 1898, with the British Minister in Beijing, Sir Claude MacDonald , representing Britain, and diplomat Li Hongzhang leading the Chinese, the Second Convention of Peking was signed on 9 June. Since the foreign powers had agreed by the late 19th century that it was no longer permissible to acquire outright sovereignty over any parcel of Chinese territory, and in keeping with

4256-509: The British to the Canton Factories and cut off their supplies. Chief Superintendent of Trade, Charles Elliot , complied with Lin's demands to secure a safe exit for the British, with the costs involved to be resolved between the two governments. When Elliot promised that the British government would pay for their opium stock, the merchants surrendered their 20,283 chests of opium, which were destroyed in public . In September 1839,

4368-544: The British. However, the Japanese Empire had severe logistical difficulties and by 1943 the food supply for Hong Kong was problematic. The overlords became more brutal and corrupt, and the Chinese gentry became disenchanted. With the surrender of Japan, the transition back to British rule was smooth, for on the mainland the Nationalist and Communist forces were preparing for a civil war and ignored Hong Kong. In

4480-535: The Chinese accepted British demands to open more ports, navigate the Yangtze River, legalise the opium trade and have diplomatic representation in Beijing. During the conflict, the British occupied the Kowloon Peninsula , where the flat land was valuable training and resting ground. The area in what is now south of Boundary Street and Stonecutters Island was ceded in the Convention of Peking. In 1898,

4592-594: The Chinese government under Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek that if Japan attacked Hong Kong, the Chinese National Army would attack the Japanese from the rear to relieve pressure on the British garrison. On 8 December, the Battle of Hong Kong began when Japanese air bombers effectively destroyed British air power in one attack. Two days later, the Japanese breached the Gin Drinkers Line in

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4704-730: The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and Hong Kong's previous capitalist system and its way of life would remain unchanged for a period of 50 years. The Joint Declaration provides that these basic policies shall be stipulated in the Hong Kong Basic Law . The ceremony of the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration took place at 18:00, 19 December 1984 at the Western Main Chamber of

4816-711: The Hong Kong Squadron of the Royal Navy or the Hong Kong Military Service Corps and their associate land units. The Hong Kong Brigade served as the main garrison formation. After the outbreak of the Second World War, the garrison was reinforced with British Indian Army and Canadian Army units. A second brigade, the Kowloon Infantry Brigade, was formed to assist in commanding the expanded force. The garrison

4928-405: The Hong Kong island to Ap Lei Chau . The Ap Lei Chau Bridge is a combination of two bridges, built separately in 1980 and 1994. It was built to accommodate the growing population in Ap Lei Chau, which the residents could only access the island by boats prior to the construction of the bridge. The Central-Mid Levels escalator and walkway system is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in

5040-427: The Japanese invasion commanded by Sakai Takashi , which began eight hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor . However, the Japanese took control of the Hong Kong skies on the first day of attack and outnumbered the defenders, which retreated from the Gin Drinkers Line and consequently from Kowloon under heavy aerial bombardment and artillery barrage. On 18 December, the Japanese had conquered North Point , reaching

5152-430: The Letters Patent and Royal Instructions. The Executive Council determined administrative policy changes and considered primary legislation before passing it to the Legislative Council for approval. This advisory body also itself issued secondary legislation under a limited set of colonial ordinances. The Legislative Council debated proposed legislation and was responsible for the appropriation of public funds. This chamber

5264-441: The New Territories. The British commander, Major-General Christopher Maltby , concluded that the island could not be defended for long unless he withdrew his brigade from the mainland. On 18 December, the Japanese crossed Victoria Harbour . By 25 December, organised defence was reduced into pockets of resistance. Maltby recommended a surrender to Governor Sir Mark Young , who accepted his advice to reduce further losses. A day after

5376-479: The PRC; the PRC provided a list of Taiwanese agents. By this time, Britain no longer considered a Taiwanese conquest of China to be realistic; the evolving discourse on human rights also made it difficult to legitimize being a sponsor of state terrorism . The Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed by both the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Premier of the People's Republic of China on 19 December 1984 in Beijing. The Declaration entered into force with

5488-470: The Rightists; Rightist instigators were lightly prosecuted, compensation was denied to communists and bystanders, and the communists were officially blamed as coinstigators. The lax persecution of the riots Rightists instigators was used by the PRC to criticize the "airy use of the rule of law as a pragmatic stand-in for human rights " that characterized British colonialism. In 1963, Hong Kong suppressed cells of Taiwanese militants in response to demands from

5600-484: The South Island line connecting four stations on Ap Lei Chau and in Wong Chuk Hang to the north shore at Admiralty station . Five MTR lines – the Tsuen Wan line , the Tseung Kwan O line , the Tung Chung line , the Airport Express – connect the north shore with Kowloon and provide onward service to the New Territories , and the East Rail line which provides another cross-harbour connection upon its extension from Hung Hom station to Admiralty station. In future,

5712-489: The Southern District. Major roads on Hong Kong Island include Connaught Road , Des Voeux Road , King's Road , Queen's Road . Hong Kong Island is connected to the Kowloon Peninsula on the mainland by two road-only tunnels (the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and the Western Harbour Crossing ), three MTR railway tunnels ( East Rail line , Tsuen Wan line and Tung Chung line / Airport Express ) and one combined road and MTR rail link tunnel ( Eastern Harbour Crossing , containing

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5824-513: The Supreme Court were heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council , which exercised final adjudication over the entire British Empire. In March 1975 the Hong Kong government introduced a programme to measure public opinion of government efforts, known as Movement of Opinion Direction (MOOD). In 1861, Governor Sir Hercules Robinson introduced the Hong Kong Cadetship, which recruited young graduates from Britain to learn Cantonese and written Chinese for two years, before deploying them on

5936-439: The UK and the Commonwealth , as well as Chinese cities and places. Aside from Chinese New Year , Christmas was celebrated as the second-most important festival. In literature , some idioms in Cantonese were directly translated from those in English. A Mandarin Chinese speaker might recognise the words but not understand the meaning. Food in Hong Kong under British rule was primarily based on Cantonese cuisine , despite

6048-437: The United Kingdom Government declared that it would relinquish Hong Kong to the PRC with effect from 1 July 1997. In the document, the People's Republic of China Government also declared its basic policies regarding Hong Kong. In accordance with the One Country, Two Systems principle agreed between the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China, the socialist system of People's Republic of China would not be practised in

6160-400: The United Kingdom and maintained an administration roughly modelled after the Westminster system . The Letters Patent formed the constitutional basis of the colonial government and the Royal Instructions detailed how the territory should be governed and organised. The Governor was the head of government and appointed by the British monarch to serve as the representative of the Crown in

6272-407: The Victoria Harbour, such as the famous now-demolished Queen's Pier in Central and now-relocated Blake Pier in Stanley, which mainly provides passenger pick-up and drop-off services for small barges, yachts and sightseeing boats. Public piers are located mainly along the Victoria Harbour mainly in Causeway Bay, Central, Shau Kei Wan, Wan Chai, and also in Aberdeen, Ap Lei Chau and Stanley, places in

6384-563: The annual Tuen Ng Festival . The race was revived as a modern sport as part of the Tourism Board 's efforts to promote Hong Kong's image abroad. The first modern competition was organised in 1976, and overseas teams began competing in the first international race in 1993. The Hong Kong Jockey Club , known between 1960 and 1996 as the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, became the territory's largest taxpayer. Three forms of gambling were legal in Hong Kong: lotteries, horse racing, and football. During China's turbulent 20th century, Hong Kong served as

6496-474: The area became known as "Diamond Hill", such as the crystals contained within the rocks mined from the area have a diamond-like luminance, or that the hill resembles the shape of a diamond. Diamond Hill Urn Cemetery is high in the hill. Diamond Hill MTR station is located near Plaza Hollywood , a nearby shopping centre was so named to associate it with the former movie studio nearby, where many films were produced after World War II . It most notably launched

6608-422: The area, namely the Government House , Central Government Complex , Legislative Council Complex , Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal and High Court of Hong Kong . Many financial institutes and banks such as the Hong Kong Stock Exchange , Hong Kong Monetary Authority , HSBC and Bank of China are also based in the area. The northern coast of the island forms the southern shore of the Victoria Harbour , which

6720-400: The area. Piracy was rampant in the area until the island was ceded to the United Kingdom in 1842. Following the First Opium War (1839–1842), Hong Kong Island was ceded to Great Britain in 1842 under the Treaty of Nanking and the territory became a Crown colony . At the time, the island's population was only 7,450. The Second World War was a dark period for Hong Kong. In the 1930s,

6832-479: The area. It is managed by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department . Many public beaches are also located in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island, which being the Deep Water Bay , Repulse Bay , Middle Bay , South Bay , Chung Hom Kok Beach , St. Stephen's Beach , Stanley Main Beach , Hair Pin Beach , Turtle Cove Beach , Shek O , and Big Wave Bay . These are all popular locations for water sports and activities. Public beaches are managed by

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6944-456: The bulk of the manpower to build a new port city. By the late 1980s, many ethnic Chinese people had become major business figures in Hong Kong. Amongst these billionaires was Sir Li Ka-shing , who had become one of the colony's wealthiest people by this time. British Hong Kong was characterised as a hybrid of East and West . Traditional Chinese values emphasising family and education blended with Western ideals, including economic liberty and

7056-437: The call of the Communists was basically heeded by the working men, and their actions practically paralysed the colony for a year. By the [end of the] 1960s, however, the attempts by the Hong Kong government to maintain stability and good order which helped improve everyone's living conditions, and ... the beginning of the emergence of a Hong Kong identity, changed the attitude of the local Chinese. They overwhelmingly rallied around

7168-542: The career of international star, Bruce Lee . Sam Hui and brothers lived around the area, too. Tate's Cairn Tunnel has its Kowloon entrance in Diamond Hill. The shopping centre has an array of shops, such as H&M , Levi's , Uniquo , and many more boutiques . There are also many restaurants serving a variety of cuisines , BUGIS @ 叻沙海南雞飯 serving Singaporean cuisine , Genki Sushi serving Japanese food, and dishes from America , and Asia . The Buddhist Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden were built according to

7280-404: The colonial British regime. 22°17′N 114°10′E  /  22.28°N 114.16°E  / 22.28; 114.16 Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island ( Chinese : 香港島 ; Jyutping : Hoeng1 gong2 dou2 ; Cantonese Yale : Hēunggóng dóu ) is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong . The island, known originally and on road signs simply as "Hong Kong", had

7392-488: The colony until 1974, when Chinese was accorded co-official status. In addition to British English being taught in primary and secondary schools , there were also English-medium schools operated by the English Schools Foundation , established in 1967. For the metro system, the metro lines were named after places instead of numbered, unlike Mainland China , where metro lines were numbered. Roads were named after British royals, governors, famous people, cities and towns across

7504-429: The colony. Executive power was highly concentrated with the Governor, who himself appointed almost all members of the Legislative Council and Executive Council and also served as President of both chambers. The British government provided oversight for the colonial government; the Foreign Secretary formally approved any additions to the Legislative and Executive Councils and the Sovereign held sole authority to amend

7616-450: The core urban area of Hong Kong. Their combined area is approximately 88.3 square kilometres (34.1 square miles) and their combined population is approximately 3,156,500, reflecting a population density of 35,700 people/km (92,000 people/sq mi). The island is often referred to locally as "Hong Kong side" or "Island side". The suffix "-side" is also applied to other locations in Hong Kong (e.g. China-side and Kowloon Walled City -side),

7728-427: The exchange of instruments of ratification on 27 May 1985 and was registered by the People's Republic of China and United Kingdom governments at the United Nations on 12 June 1985. In the Joint Declaration, the People's Republic of China Government stated that it had decided to resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong (including Hong Kong Island , Kowloon, and the New Territories) with effect from 1 July 1997 and

7840-423: The imperial government of the Qing dynasty undertook a major policy review of the opium trade, which had been first introduced to the Chinese by Persian then Islamic traders over many centuries. Viceroy Lin Zexu took on the task of suppressing the opium trade. In March 1839, he became Special Imperial Commissioner in Canton , where he ordered the foreign traders to surrender their opium stock. He confined

7952-638: The invasion, Chiang ordered three corps under General Yu Hanmou to march towards Hong Kong. The plan was to launch a New Year's Day attack on the Japanese in the Canton region, but before the Chinese infantry could attack, the Japanese had broken Hong Kong's defences. The British casualties were 2,232 killed or missing and 2,300 wounded. The Japanese reported 1,996 killed and 6,000 wounded. The Japanese soldiers committed atrocities, including rape, on many locals. The population fell in half, from 1.6 million in 1941 to 750,000 at war's end because of fleeing refugees; they returned in 1945. The Japanese imprisoned

8064-405: The long run the occupation strengthened the pre-war social and economic order among the Chinese business community by eliminating some conflicts of interests and reducing the prestige and power of the British. On 14 August 1945, when Japan announced its unconditional surrender, the British formed a naval task group to sail towards Hong Kong. On 1 September, Rear-Admiral Cecil Harcourt proclaimed

8176-686: The opportunity to mobilise their followers to protest against the colonial government. Chinese Communist Party supporters organised the Anti-British Struggle Committee during the riots. Steve Tsang , director of the China Institute of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London , wrote that it was "ironic" that despite Hong Kong being a symbol of China's humiliation by Britain, there

8288-634: The other districts in Hong Kong. Affluent districts on Hong Kong Island are The Peak , Western Mid-Levels ( Conduit Road / Robinson Road / Magazine Gap Road / Kotewall Road etc.), Eastern Mid-Levels ( Happy Valley / Tai Hang / Jardine's Lookout ), Tai Tam , Deep Water Bay and Repulse Bay . As of 2021, 85% of Hong Kong Island's residents are of Chinese descent. The largest ethnic minority groups are Filipinos (5.6%), Indonesians (2.6%), and White people (2.5%) As of 2021, 80.4% of Hong Kong Island's residents use Cantonese as their usual language, while 10.6% use English and 3.3% use Mandarin . 2.8% of

8400-488: The other territorial cessions China made to Russia , Germany and France that same year, the extension of Hong Kong took the form of a 99-year lease. The lease consisted of the rest of Kowloon south of the Sham Chun River and 230 islands, which became known as the New Territories . The British formally took possession on 16 April 1899. In 1941, during the Second World War, the British reached an agreement with

8512-654: The planned North Island line infrastructure project would extend both the Tung Chung line and the Tseung Kwan O line to connect them to each other, forming a route parallel to the middle section of the Island line. Two other rail systems, Hong Kong Tramways and the Peak Tram , also run exclusively on Hong Kong Island. The former runs mostly parallel to the Island line between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan , with

8624-873: The political franchise to include them. Hong Kong remained a part of the UK and overseas colonies from 1949 until it transitioned its colony to a British dependent territory in 1983. The economy was the main concern after the Chinese Civil War . Hong Kong welcomed business from both the PRC and Taiwan . Investments from Taiwan were particularly lucrative, and Taiwanese interests were given preferential treatment in state compensation and justice. The Triads were strongly embedded in Taiwanese economic connections. POlitical activity, covert activity and low intensity violence - including assassinations - by Chinese and Taiwanese agents

8736-458: The residents use Chinese dialects other than Cantonese and Mandarin as their usual language and 2.9% use languages not listed above as their usual language. Seven of the MTR rapid transit system's ten lines service Hong Kong Island. The Island line and South Island line run exclusively on the four districts of Hong Kong Island, with the Island line serving the north shore at 17 stations, and

8848-419: The roles of the most prolific Hong Kong actors. Jackie Chan , Donnie Yen , Jet Li , Chow Yun-fat , and Michelle Yeoh frequently play action-oriented roles in foreign films. At the height of the local movie industry in the early 1990s, over 400 films were produced each year; since then, industry momentum shifted to mainland China. The number of films produced annually declined to about 60 in 2017. Cantopop

8960-404: The rule of law. Although the vast majority of the population was ethnically Chinese, Hong Kong developed a distinct identity from the mainland through its long period of colonial administration and a different pace of economic, social, and cultural development, with mainstream culture was derived from immigrants originating from various parts of China. This was influenced by British-style education,

9072-399: The ruling British colonial elite and sought to win over the local merchant gentry by appointments to advisory councils and neighbourhood watch groups. The policy worked well for Japan and produced extensive collaboration from both the elite and the middle class, with far less terror than in other Chinese cities. Hong Kong was transformed into a Japanese colony, with Japanese businesses replacing

9184-486: The signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984, which stated that the economic and social systems in Hong Kong would remain relatively unchanged for 50 years, the British government agreed to transfer the entire territory to China upon the expiration of the New Territories lease in 1997 – with Hong Kong becoming a special administrative region (SAR) until at least 2047. In 1836,

9296-558: The sole remnant of which being the "Kowloon side" when referring to the two sides of the Victoria Harbour. Human settlement of the area dates back 6,000 years ago, as evidenced by Neolithic artifacts discovered in Stanley , Hong Kong Island. In 214 BC, the Qin dynasty defeated the Baiyue , and absorbed areas of what is now Guangdong , Guangxi , and northern Vietnam . Hong Kong Island

9408-624: The squatter settlement were demolished over the years, including for expansion of the Kai Tak Airport during the Japanese occupation , construction of the Mass Transit Railway , Lung Cheung Road , and the Tate's Cairn Tunnel . Due to the dramatic shortage of public housing available for resettlement, the final sections were only demolished in 2001. Contrary to its name, the area does not contain any diamond deposits. There are

9520-565: The style of the Tang dynasty and are tourist attractions. Diamond Hill is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 45. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money); no government primary schools are in this net. 22°20′28″N 114°12′04″E  /  22.34117°N 114.20107°E  / 22.34117; 114.20107 Colonial Hong Kong Hong Kong

9632-599: The territory was taken up by additional British forces who were rotated from Europe. The garrison was further supplemented by LEPs, and Gurkhas . The latter came from Nepal , but formed part of the British Army. The size of the garrison during the Cold War fluctuated and ended up being based around one brigade. The Royal Hong Kong Regiment , a military unit which was part of the Hong Kong Government,

9744-442: The territory's exposure to foreign influences and its residents' varied origins. Rice was the staple food, and was usually served plain with other dishes. Freshness of ingredients was emphasised. Poultry and seafood were commonly sold live at wet markets , and ingredients were used as quickly as possible. There were five daily meals: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and siu yeh . Dim sum , as part of yum cha (brunch),

9856-655: The territory's first Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics , Between 1972 and 1996, Hong Kong athletes won 60 medals at the Paralympic Games . As part of the Commonwealth , British Hong Kong participated in the Commonwealth Games , in which it won 17 medals , the city's last appearance in the Games being in 1994 . Dragon boat races originated as a religious ceremony conducted during

9968-551: The traditional commercial district of Central. On 1 July 1997, the sovereignty of Hong Kong Island was transferred to the People's Republic of China alongside Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories , ending 156 years of British rule on Hong Kong Island. Despite Hong Kong Island being an island, it is not part of the Islands District . Four districts of Hong Kong are located on the island: Since 2021, Hong Kong Island West and Hong Kong Island East have been

10080-451: The treaty, the leased New Territories comprised 86.2% of the colony and more than half of the entire colony's population. With the lease nearing its end during the late 20th century, Britain did not see any viable way to administer the colony by dividing it, whilst the People's Republic of China would not consider extending the lease or allow continued British administration thereafter. With

10192-669: The two Legislative Council geographical constituencies in Hong Kong Island. Between 1997 and 2021, Hong Kong Island was one geographical constituency of itself . Between 1995 and 1997 however, Hong Kong Island consisted of four geographical constituencies, with them being Hong Kong Island Central , Hong Kong Island East , Hong Kong Island South and Hong Kong Island West . In the previous council from 1991 to 1995 , Hong Kong Island consisted of two geographical constituencies, Hong Kong Island West and Hong Kong Island East , similar to current arrangements. Hong Kong Island

10304-586: The way this was handled. He viewed the sudden strict enforcement as laying a trap for the foreign traders, and the confinement of the British with supplies cut off was tantamount to starving them into submission or death. He instructed the Elliot cousins to occupy one of the Chusan Islands in the Hangzhou Bay delta across from Shanghai , then to present a letter from himself to a Chinese official for

10416-513: The world. It was opened in 1993 with the initiative of providing relief to traffic in the Mid-Levels . It travels from Queen's Road Central to Conduit Road , with the total horizontal distance being over 800 m (2,600 ft) and total vertical distance being over 135 m (443 ft). It consists of covered walkways, 16 reversible one-way escalators and 3 reversible one-way travelators. Restaurants, bars and shops can be found alongside

10528-533: Was a British colony and later a dependent territory of the United Kingdom from 1841 to 1997, with a period of Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945 during World War II . The colonial period began with the British occupation of Hong Kong Island under the Convention of Chuenpi in 1841 of the Victorian era . In accordance with Art. III of the Treaty of Nanking of 1842, signed in the aftermath of

10640-414: Was a dining-out tradition with family and friends. Dishes include congee , cha siu bao , siu yuk , egg tarts , and mango pudding . Local versions of Western food were served at cha chaan teng (Hong Kong-style cafes). Common cha chaan teng menu items include macaroni in soup, deep-fried French toast, and Hong Kong-style milk tea . Film making in Hong Kong began as early as 1909, but Hong Kong

10752-407: Was a genre of Cantonese popular music which emerged in Hong Kong during the 1970s. Evolving from Shanghai-style shidaiqu , it was also influenced by Cantonese opera and Western pop. Local media featured songs by artists such as Sam Hui , Anita Mui , Leslie Cheung , and Alan Tam ; during the 1980s, exported films and shows exposed Cantopop to a global audience. The genre's popularity peaked in

10864-459: Was a valuable base for the British trading community in Canton. British rule began with the occupation of the island on 26 January. Commodore Gordon Bremer , commander-in-chief of British forces in China, took formal possession of the island at Possession Point , where the Union Jack was raised under a fire of joy from the marines and a royal salute from the warships. Hong Kong Island

10976-489: Was anti-imperialist in nature. The 1966 riots and Maoist -led 1967 riots , essentially spillovers from the Cultural Revolution , were large scale demonstrations fuelled by tensions surrounding labour disputes and dissatisfaction towards the government. Although the 1967 riots started as a labour dispute, the incident escalated quickly after the leftist camp and mainland officials stationed in Hong Kong seized

11088-551: Was believed to determine the success of a business. Bagua mirrors were regularly used to deflect evil spirits, and buildings often lack floor numbers with a 4 ; the number has a similar sound to the word for "die" in Cantonese. A prominent example of cultural integration in everyday life in British Hong Kong, was the use of British English as a common second language , and also the sole official language of

11200-565: Was ceded in the Treaty of Nanking on 29 August 1842 and established as a Crown colony after the ratification exchanged between the Daoguang Emperor and Queen Victoria was completed on 26 June 1843. By 1842, Hong Kong had become the major arms supply port in the Asia-Pacific region. The Treaty of Nanking failed to satisfy British expectations of a major expansion of trade and profit, which led to increasing pressure for

11312-512: Was defeated during the Battle of Hong Kong , by the Empire of Japan . After the Second World War and the end of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong , the British military reestablished a presence. As a result of the Chinese Civil War , the British Army raised the 40th Infantry Division and dispatched it to garrison Hong Kong. It later left for combat in the Korean War , and the defense of

11424-518: Was deputy to the Governor. The judicial system was based on English law , with Chinese customary law taking a secondary role in civil cases involving Chinese residents. The Supreme Court of Hong Kong was the highest court and ruled on all civil and criminal cases in the colony. During the early colonial period, extraterritorial appellate cases from other regions of China involving British subjects were also tried in this court. Further appeals from

11536-479: Was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom under the Treaty of Nanking . The City of Victoria was then established on the island by British forces in honour of Queen Victoria . At the time, the island had a population of about 3,000 inhabitants scattered in a dozen fishing villages. The northern-east part of the island, being known as the Central area is the historical, political, and economic centre of Hong Kong, with many government buildings being in

11648-799: Was held at the new wing of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on the night of 30 June 1997. The principal British guest was Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles III, King of the United Kingdom) who read a farewell speech on behalf of the Queen . The newly elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , Tony Blair ; the Foreign Secretary , Robin Cook ; the departing Governor of Hong Kong , Chris Patten ;

11760-481: Was lost. As Wan Chai Gap had also fallen that same day, the British had no choice but to surrender. Hong Kong surrendered to the Japanese on 25 December 1941, thereafter often called " Black Christmas " by locals as the surrender was on Christmas. The Governor of Hong Kong , Mark Young , surrendered in-person at the temporary Japanese headquarters, on the third floor of the Peninsula Hotel , thus beginning

11872-493: Was not a film making hub until the late 1940s, when a wave of Shanghai filmmakers migrated to the territory; these movie veterans helped build the colony's entertainment industry over the next decade. By the 1960s, the city was well known to overseas audiences through films such as The World of Suzie Wong . When Bruce Lee 's The Way of the Dragon was released in 1972, local productions became popular outside Hong Kong. During

11984-399: Was not one major movement started by the Chinese residents of the colony for its retrocession to China, even though there had been several upsurges of Chinese nationalism . He explained: In the 1920s, the working class Chinese of Hong Kong did not have a good reason to rally around the Hong Kong government, and they were more susceptible to appeals based on Chinese nationalism. Consequently,

12096-708: Was part of the annexed land and was listed under the jurisdiction of Panyu County ( 番禺縣 ) of the Nanhai Commandery ( 南海郡 ). On the sixth year of the Eastern Jin dynasty (AD 331), Hong Kong Island was listed under the jurisdiction of Baoan County ( 寶安縣) . Copper coins from the Sui , Tang and Song dynasty were unearthed in where the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club is presently located at, on where Kellett Island would have been prior to

12208-491: Was reformed in the last years of colonial rule to introduce more democratic representation. Indirectly elected functional constituency seats were introduced in 1985 and popularly elected geographical constituency seats in 1991 . Further electoral reform in 1994 effectively made the legislature broadly representative. The administrative Civil Service was led by the Colonial Secretary (later Chief Secretary), who

12320-644: Was the leading Chinese ensemble and played a significant role in promoting traditional music in the community. Despite its small area, the territory regularly hosted the Hong Kong Sevens , Hong Kong Marathon , Hong Kong Tennis Classic and Lunar New Year Cup , and hosted the inaugural AFC Asian Cup and the 1995 Dynasty Cup . Hong Kong was separately represented from mainland China , with its own sports teams in international competitions. The territory participated in almost every Summer Olympics since 1952 and earned four gold medals . Lee Lai-shan won

12432-436: Was tolerated so long as it did not disrupt public order or threaten British sovereignty. Hong Kong was a base for American-sponsored Taiwanese and anti-communist insurgents and terrorists operating in southern China in the 1950s and early 1960s. The British claimed that increasing policing to control movement from Hong Kong to China was impractical, and that the mutual open border policy was responsible. Hong Kong's value as

12544-589: Was trained and organised along the lines of a British Territorial Army unit. As such, it was supported by British Army regular personnel holding key positions. These British Army personnel, for their duration of service to the Royal Hong Kong Regiment, were seconded to the Hong Kong Government. In the post-WWII era, the majority of the regiment's members were local citizens of Chinese descent. The stability, security, and predictability of British law and government enabled Hong Kong to flourish as

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