British Hong Kong

British Hong Kong (Chinese: 英屬香港; Jyutping: jing1 suk6 hoeng1 gong2), officially Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港; Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2), was a Crown colony of the United Kingdom from 1841 to 1981, and later a dependent territory until 1997. For a short time between 1941 and 1945, it was under Japanese occupation during the Second World War. The British first took control of Hong Kong Island in 1841 under the Convention of Chuenpi, marking the start of their rule, which ended with the handover of Hong Kong in July 1997.

The British expanded their control over the years. In 1860, they added the Kowloon Peninsula, and in 1898, they obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories. As the lease on the New Territories was set to end, discussions began on what would happen next. In 1984, the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed, agreeing that Hong Kong would be transferred to China in 1997. After the handover, Hong Kong became a special administrative region of China, a status it kept until at least 2047.

History

Colonial establishment

Further information: History of Hong Kong (1800s–1930s) and Bao'an County

In the 1800s, China reviewed its policies on the opium trade, which had been part of the country for centuries. An official named Lin Zexu worked to stop this trade. In 1839, he asked foreign traders, including the British, to give up their opium. When they did, it was destroyed publicly.

Britain felt they needed to make China pay for this loss. In 1840, they sent a force to China. After talks, Britain took control of Hong Kong Island in 1841 because it was a good spot for trading. By 1842, Hong Kong became an official British territory.

Growth and expansion

Britain wanted more trade and profit, so they kept pushing for better terms. In 1856, an incident involving a ship led to more conflict. By 1860, Britain had taken control of more land around Hong Kong, including parts of Kowloon.

In 1898, Britain added more land called the New Territories to Hong Kong for 99 years. This helped protect Hong Kong and gave it more space.

Japanese occupation

Main articles: Battle of Hong Kong and Japanese occupation of Hong Kong

During World War II, in 1941, Japan attacked Hong Kong. The battle lasted a few weeks, and Hong Kong fell under Japanese control. Many people left the city, and life became very hard.

After Japan surrendered in 1945, British forces returned to Hong Kong and took back control.

Restoration of British rule

Further information: Liberation of Hong Kong, 1950s in Hong Kong, 1960s in Hong Kong, 1970s in Hong Kong, 1980s in Hong Kong, and 1990s in Hong Kong

When Japan surrendered in 1945, a British naval group arrived in Hong Kong to start rebuilding. By 1946, British rule was restored. Hong Kong became an important place for business, especially after many people and companies moved there from China.

Transfer of sovereignty

Main article: Handover of Hong Kong

In 1984, leaders from the United Kingdom and China signed an agreement. They decided that Hong Kong would return to China on July 1, 1997. This was a big event watched around the world. After this date, Hong Kong became a special area of China, keeping its own way of life for 50 years.

Government

Elizabeth II
Monarch
(1952–1997)

.jpg)

Chris Patten
Governor
(1992–1997)

Anson Chan
Chief Secretary
(1993–1997)

Hong Kong was a dependent territory of the United Kingdom and ran its government in a way that was similar to the Westminster system. The main rules for how Hong Kong was governed came from the Hong Kong Letters Patent 1917 and the Hong Kong Royal Instructions 1917.

The top leader was the Governor of Hong Kong, chosen by the British monarch. The Governor had a lot of power and chose most members of the Legislative Council and Executive Council. The British government watched over Hong Kong’s rules, and the Foreign Secretary had to agree to any big changes.

The Executive Council helped make big decisions and checked laws before they went to the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council talked about new laws and decided how to spend money. In the later years, more people were allowed to help choose leaders. The main helper to the Governor was called the Colonial Secretary, later known as the Chief Secretary.

The courts in Hong Kong used English law, but also looked at Chinese customary law for some cases. The Supreme Court of Hong Kong was the biggest court and handled all important cases. If there was still a problem after that, the case could go to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

In 1975, Hong Kong started a way to ask people what they thought about the government’s work, called the Movement of Opinion Direction (MOOD).

Cadets

Main article: Administrative Officer (Hong Kong)

In 1861, the leader of Hong Kong started a program called the Hong Kong Cadetship. Young people from Britain came to learn Cantonese and Chinese writing for two years. After that, they helped run the government. After World War II, people from China and women were also allowed to join. These Cadets were later called Administrative Officers and were very important in running Hong Kong.

Military

Main article: British Forces Overseas Hong Kong

Before and during World War II, soldiers from the British Army and some local people helped protect Hong Kong. They were part of groups like the Royal Navy and the Hong Kong Military Service Corps. During the war, more soldiers from British Indian Army and Canadian Army came to help. Sadly, they lost to the Empire of Japan in the Battle of Hong Kong.

After the war, British soldiers came back to Hong Kong. Because of problems in China, more soldiers were sent, including some from the 40th Infantry Division. Later, they left for a big fight in the Korean War, and other British soldiers took over. More local soldiers and soldiers from Nepal, called Gurkhas, also helped protect Hong Kong.

The Royal Hong Kong Regiment was a special group that helped keep order. Most of its members were local people from China.

Economy

The economy of Hong Kong during British rule grew because of free trade and simple rules. With low taxes and steady laws, Hong Kong became a busy place for international trade and money matters. Early on, money from trading a certain plant helped the government, but this changed over time.

By the late 1980s, many Chinese people became successful business leaders in Hong Kong. One of these was Sir Li Ka-shing, who became one of the richest people in the area.

Culture

British Hong Kong mixed together ideas and traditions from East and West. Chinese customs about family and learning joined with British ideas like fairness and following rules. Even though most people were Chinese, Hong Kong grew to feel different from other parts of China. This was because of British control, different ways of running things, and fast growth in jobs and daily life. Many people moved there to escape hard times, which made Hong Kong people often think about money and success.

Chinese traditions stayed strong, like respecting family and older people. Most families were small, but some had many family members living together. Even though some old customs like having many wives were allowed until 1971, they were not common.

People also followed beliefs like feng shui, which meant they paid attention to how buildings were placed. They used special mirrors to keep away bad luck and often skipped the fourth floor because the word for “four” sounds like “death” in Cantonese.

Language

Main article: Languages of Hong Kong

British Hong Kong used British English a lot, especially in schools and government work. Roads were named after British leaders and famous people. Along with Chinese New Year, people also celebrated Christmas. In books, some Cantonese sayings came from English phrases. Both British English and Chinese were used in schools and everyday life.

Cuisine

Main article: Hong Kong cuisine

Food in Hong Kong was mainly Cantonese cuisine. Rice was a main part of meals, and people liked fresh ingredients. Meals happened five times a day, and families often got together for brunch to enjoy dim sum. Popular dishes included congee, cha siu bao, and mango pudding. Hong Kong also had its own style of Western food, like special milk tea and macaroni soup, served in local cafes called cha chaan teng.

Cinema

Main article: Cinema of Hong Kong

Making movies in Hong Kong started in the early 1900s, but it grew big after World War II when filmmakers from Shanghai came over. By the 1960s, movies like The World of Suzie Wong made Hong Kong famous. In the 1970s and 1980s, films with action, love stories, and magic became popular around the world. Actors like Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh became famous. At one time, Hong Kong made over 400 movies a year, but later, fewer films were made as the industry changed.

Music

Main article: Music of Hong Kong

Leslie Cheung and Andy Lau were famous singers in Hong Kong. A type of music called Cantopop became very popular in the 1970s and 1980s. It mixed Cantonese singing with Western pop styles. Even classical Western music was important, with groups like the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra playing often.

Sport and recreation

Main article: Sport in Hong Kong

Hong Kong hosted many sports events, like the Hong Kong Sevens and the Hong Kong Marathon. It had its own teams for international competitions and won medals in the Olympics and other games. People also enjoyed dragon boat racing, which started as a festival tradition and became a popular sport. Horse racing was a big part of life in Hong Kong, with many people watching and betting on races.

Dissent

During a difficult time in China's history, Hong Kong became a safe place for people who disagreed with the government, refugees, and officials who had lost their power. The British allowed these people to live in Hong Kong as long as they followed the rules and did not cause trouble for Britain.

There were several big protests, such as the Canton–Hong Kong strike from 1925 to 1926, and the 1966 riots and 1967 riots which were influenced by events in China. These protests were often about workers' rights and unhappiness with the government. During the 1967 riots, supporters of the Chinese Communist Party helped organize protests against British rule.

A expert named Steve Tsang noted that even though Hong Kong was seen as a symbol of China losing to Britain, the local people did not start big movements to return Hong Kong to China. He explained that in the 1920s, workers were more influenced by Chinese national feelings, but by the 1960s, improvements in living conditions and a growing sense of being Hong Kong people changed their views.