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98-620: Island Road has existed before the Colonial era , existing before the year 1840 as a major trail towards the south of the island, extending from Shau Kei Wan to Stanley to Aberdeen . The British government later standardized this road during the 1840s. The road later caused problems for mailing due to its great length, and in 1961 was split into eight sections which still exist today. These are: 1. Chai Wan Road 2. Tai Tam Road 3. Stanley Gap Road 4. Repulse Bay Road 5. Island Road, originally " Island Road, Deep Water Bay " but

196-579: 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

294-468: 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

392-533: 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

490-762: 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

588-622: 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,

686-583: 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

784-525: 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

882-401: 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)

980-705: 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

1078-506: A small quantity of the drug and others followed suit, even though the amounts offered represented only a tiny fraction of the foreign merchants' total stock, which was worth millions of pounds. The commissioner then backed down on his promise to execute members of the Cohong and instead invited the top foreign merchants including Dent to his residence for interview. Dent was warned by his friends that in 1774 an individual who had heeded such

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1176-436: A summons ended up garroted so he instead asked Howqua to tell Lin he would meet him provided he received a guarantee of safe conduct. Dent further stalled by sending Robert Inglis, one of his partners, to a meeting with Lin's subordinates. Charles Elliot then ordered all British ships in Canton to head for the safety of Hong Kong island before he himself arrived at the foreign factories on 24   March, 1839, three days after

1274-678: A surge in domestic demand, which in turn led to a huge silver deficit for the East India Company (EIC), who were the sole importers of the commodity. Silver was the only currency the Chinese would accept in payment for their tea, and to redress the balance in 1793 the EIC acquired a monopoly on opium production in India from the British government. However, as it had been illegal to sell the drug in China since 1800, consignments were sent to Calcutta for auction whereafter private traders smuggled

1372-507: The Bogue forts and 35 miles (56 km) from Canton. However, he agreed that men assigned by Elliot could instead carry out the task. Deng Tingzhen together with Lin arrived at the Bogue on 11   April. According to a Chinese account of events, at this point Lin offered three catties of tea for every one of opium surrendered. The Jardine Matheson clippers Austin and Hercules moored in

1470-510: 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

1568-658: 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

1666-615: 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

1764-867: 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

1862-588: 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

1960-765: 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

2058-563: 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

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2156-577: 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 ,

2254-413: The British government for the costs of the merchandise, with a deadline of six   pm on 27   March. By nightfall, British traders had agreed to surrender around 20,000 chests of opium (approximately 1,300 long tons (1,321 t)) with a value of 2,000,000 British pounds . Even though Lin believed that the British had surrendered all their supplies, the factories remained in a state of virtual siege as

2352-706: 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

2450-509: 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,

2548-544: 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

2646-535: 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,

2744-425: The Chinese characters for good luck and long life. On 24   May, all foreign merchants previously involved in the opium trade received orders from Lin to leave China forever. They departed in a flotilla under the command of Charles Elliot, who by now had become persona non grata with the British government for his acquiescence to Chinese demands. Lin then set about destroying the seized opium. After encircling

2842-594: 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

2940-730: 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

3038-711: 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

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3136-565: 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

3234-506: 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

3332-647: 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

3430-549: The Qing government, having vacillated for a while on the correct approach to the problem of growing opium addiction amongst the people, decided to expel merchant William Jardine of Jardine, Matheson & Co. along with others involved in the illegal trade. Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi Deng Tingzhen and the governor of Guangdong along with the Guangdong Customs Supervisor (粵海关部监督) issued an edict to this effect although Jardine remained in

3528-527: 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

3626-778: 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

3724-658: 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

3822-575: 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

3920-633: 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

4018-763: 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

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4116-542: The banks of the Pearl River outside Humen Town , Dongguan , China, the action provided casus belli for Great Britain to declare war on Qing China. What followed is now known as the First Opium War (1839–1842), a conflict that initiated China's opening for trade with foreign nations under a series of treaties with the western powers. A reduction in import duty by the British government on Chinese tea from 110 per cent to an average of 10 per cent in 1784 caused

4214-456: 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

4312-496: 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

4410-500: The colonial British regime. 22°17′N 114°10′E  /  22.28°N 114.16°E  / 22.28; 114.16 Destruction of opium at Humen The destruction of opium at Humen began on 3   June 1839, lasted for 23 days, and involved the destruction of 1,000 long tons (1,016 t) of illegal opium seized from British traders under the aegis of Lin Zexu , an Imperial Commissioner of Qing China . Conducted on

4508-567: 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

4606-679: 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

4704-402: The commissioner demanded that the Americans, the French, the Indians and the Dutch hand over a further 20,000 chests in total. This would have been impossible; the French were absent from Canton at the time, the Indians and Americans claimed that any opium they held belonged to others while the Dutch did not deal in the drug. At an elevated spot on the shore a space was barricaded in; here a pit

4802-586: The country. Former Royal Navy officer Charles Elliot became Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China in 1838, by which time the number of Chinese opium addicts had grown to between four and twelve million. By the early 19th century, more and more Chinese were smoking British opium as a recreational drug. But for many, what started as recreation soon became a punishing addiction: many people who stopped ingesting opium suffered chills, nausea, and cramps, and sometimes died from withdrawal. Once addicted, people would often do almost anything to continue to get access to

4900-427: The drug. Although some officials argued that a tax on opium would yield a profit for the imperial treasury, the Daoguang Emperor instead decided to stop the trade altogether and severely punish those involved. He then appointed respected scholar and government official Lin Zexu as Special Imperial Commissioner to enforce his will. Any foreigner or foreigners bringing opium to the Central Land, with design to sell

4998-427: 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

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5096-432: The expiry of Lin's deadline. After raising the Union Jack, the British superintendent of trade announced that all foreign merchants were henceforth under the protection of the British government. Chinese soldiers then sealed off access to the factory area and began a campaign to intimidate the foreign residents trapped inside. Elliot read out a petition stating that all opium was to be handed over, promising compensation from

5194-423: 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

5292-638: 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

5390-422: The leader of the Cohong passed Lin's orders to the foreign merchants who subsequently convened a meeting of their Chamber of Commerce on 21   March. After the meeting, Howqua was told that Lin's move was a bluff and his threats should be ignored. In fear for his life, the merchant then suggested that surrendering at least some contraband might assuage Lin. Lancelot Dent of Dent & Co. agreed to surrender

5488-405: 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

5586-446: The merchants compensation for their losses from the British government. However, the country's parliament had never agreed to such an offer, and instead thought that it was the Chinese government's responsibility to pay reparations to the merchants. Frustrated that any repayment for the destroyed opium seemed unlikely, the merchants turned to William Jardine, who had left Canton just prior to Lin's arrival. Jardine believed that open warfare

5684-468: The middle of 1839, Lin wrote to Queen Victoria in an appeal to her moral responsibility to stop the opium trade. The letter elicited no response (sources suggest that it was lost in transit), but it was later reprinted in the London Times as a direct appeal to the British public. An edict from the Daoguang Emperor followed on 18   March, emphasising the serious penalties for opium smuggling that would now apply. On 18   March 1839, Lin summoned

5782-412: The opium to the southern ports of mainland China. In 1834 the EIC lost its trading monopoly in China and Lord Napier was appointed as first commissioner of trade for the country. Napier's first visit to the southern port of Canton (now Guangzhou ), where the rigid Canton System controlled all trade with China, failed to convince the Chinese authorities to open up further ports for trading. In 1837,

5880-425: 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

5978-424: 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

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6076-652: 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

6174-489: The pre-League time - to the American Bishop Charles H. Brent of the Philippines who, in 1906, drew the attention of President Theodore Roosevelt to the deplorable opium situation in the Far East. It is observed annually on 26 Jun that Chinese government and media commemorate Lin Zexu's effort of dismantling the harmful opium trade in Humen, Guangdong, ending on 25 June 1839. A statue of Lin Zexu stands in Chatham Square in Chinatown , New York City, United States. The base of

6272-400: The river and began the transfer of opium in their holds but rough waters forced them to relocate to Chuanbi Island further down river and close to the Shajiao Fort ( 沙角炮台 ) outside Humen Town. By 21   May 1839, 20,283 chests had been unloaded at Chuanbi. Pleased with the outcome, Daogguang sent Lin a roebuck venison to symbolise an imminent promotion and a hand-written scroll inscribed with

6370-419: 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

6468-404: 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,

6566-399: 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

6664-546: The same, the principals shall most assuredly be decapitated, and the accessories strangled; and all property (found on board the same ship) shall be confiscated. The space of a year and a half is granted, within the which, if any one bringing opium by mistake, shall voluntarily step forward and deliver it up, he shall be absolved from all consequences of his crime. The Daoguang Emperor 's edict issued on 18 March 1838, translated in The Chinese Repository , Vol. 8 (February 1840), pp. 497-503 Soon after his arrival in Canton in

6762-402: 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,

6860-403: The site with a bamboo fence to prevent theft, three stone pits, lined with wood, were dug into which was poured the seized opium along with lime and salt. A minor interruption occurred when one man was caught trying to remove a quantity of the drug—he was beheaded on the spot. Once the pits had been filled with sea water, labourers tramped the mixture to ensure the drug's destruction. The residue

6958-432: The spring of 1840 an expeditionary force of sixteen warships and 31 other ships left India for China, which would become involved in multiple Sino-British battles in the First Opium War that followed. International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a United Nations International Day against drug abuse and the illegal drug trade. The honour of having started the campaign against narcotic drugs belongs - in

7056-614: The statue is inscribed with "Pioneer in the war against drugs" in English and Chinese. The "Lin Zexu Memorial" to commemorate destruction of the opium opened outside Humen in 1957 and in 1972 was renamed "Anti-British Memorial for Humen People of the Opium War." It later became the "Opium War Museum" with additional responsibility for administration of the ruins of the Shajiao and Weiyuan Batteries. A further "Sea Battle Museum" on

7154-599: 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,

7252-442: 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),

7350-595: 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

7448-451: 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

7546-549: The twelve Chinese merchants of the Cohong who acted as intermediaries for the foreign opium traders. He told them that all European merchants were to hand over the opium in their possession and cease trading in the drug forthwith. The commissioner went on to call the Cohong "traitors" and accuse them of complicity in the illegal trade; they had three days to persuade the foreigners to forfeit their opium or two of them would be executed and their wealth and lands confiscated. Howqua ,

7644-586: 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

7742-533: 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

7840-414: 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

7938-407: 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

8036-459: 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

8134-656: Was abbreviated to Island Road 6. Wong Chuk Hang Road 7. Aberdeen Main Road 8. Shek Pai Wan Road This road is part of the Deep Water Bay area, where many of the wealthy and famous take up their residences in. They include the ex- Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa , the Kwok brothers , and the Consul-General of Australia . Roads are listed from West to East. British Hong Kong Hong Kong

8232-489: 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

8330-551: 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

8428-565: 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

8526-634: 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

8624-462: 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

8722-424: Was dug, and filled with opium mixed with brine: into this, again, lime was thrown, forming a scalding furnace, which made a kind of boiling soup of the opium. In the evening the mixture was let out by sluices, and allowed to flow out to sea with the ebb tide. Lin's initial plan called for the transport of the seized opium under Chinese guard to Lankit Island (Longxue Island), some 5 miles (8.0 km) south of

8820-732: 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 ;

8918-493: 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

9016-399: 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,

9114-491: 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

9212-644: 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

9310-578: Was the only way to force compensation from the Qing authorities and in London he began a campaign to sway the British government, meeting with Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston in October 1839. The following March, in the face of strong opposition from, among others, the Chartists , the pro-war lobby eventually won 271 to 262 in a House of Commons debate on whether to despatch a naval force to China. In

9408-530: Was then flushed through a channel into the South China Sea. The work commenced on 3   June 1839 and took a total of 23 days. When the task was finished, the American missionary, Elijah Coleman Bridgman , who witnessed events, commented: "The degree of care and fidelity, with which the whole work was conducted, far exceeded our expectations ..." Once the opium had been destroyed, Elliot promised

9506-436: 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

9604-589: 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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