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The Start of the First Opium War
When new Emperor Chia Ching took over China, he decided to put an end to the rising opium addiction in China by banning foreign trades. Ching then confiscated and destroyed 20,000 chests of British-supplied opium. The British were furious as to hear this and demanded compensation, which the Chinese refused, hence the start of the First Opium War. -
The Birth of British Hong Kong
After the Chinese lost the first opium war to the British. Sir Henry Pottinger seized control of Xiamen, Ningpo, and Shanghai, demonstrating British imperialist control. With the situation beginning to get out of hand, the Chinese were forced to give the British what they sought after: the island of Hong Kong. -
The Treaty of Nanking
When Hong Kong Island was ceded to Britain in 1842 under the Treaty of Nanking, the territory became a Crown colony. One of the main purposes for this treaty was to open five ports in Hong Kong to allow for British trade. The term Crown Colony was a symbol of the dominance of British power; showing that the British had complete political control of the city-state of Hong Kong. -
British Hong Kong as a Trade Port
Hong Kong’s first governor, Sir Henry Pottinger was assigned to take charge of the twenty or so villages in Hong Kong to conduct British trading operations. Hong Kong was known as an ideal place for trade because of its location and accessibility through harbors. -
The Hong Kong Police Force
In order to strengthen the army to fend off Chinese attacks, Queen Elizabeth the second established the Hong Kong Police Force. The aim of this was not only to defend against potential attacks, but also to ease the control of immigrations from China and to wipe out opposing Vietnamese threats. -
The British Act for More Power
The 1850s saw a time of rapid imperialist growth. In an attempt to attain more power and control, the British demanded a revision of the Treaty of Nanking legalizing opium trade in Hong Kong and enforcing the suppression of piracy. As a result of legalizing opium trade, the British maximized the generated profit from Hong Kong as well as establishing Hong Kong's reputation as a profitable place of trade. -
The 99 Years Rent Free Lease
In 1898, the United Kingdom became concerned that Hong Kong could not be defended unless surrounding areas were also under British control. As a result, a 99-year rent-free lease titled the "Second Convention of Peking" was drafted and executed. This significantly expanded the size of Hong Kong via the addition of the New Territories. The lease was scheduled to expire at midnight on the 30th June 1997. -
Increase in the Cantonese Population
Hong Kong reached a population of 260,000 residents after the waves of Chinese immigrants relocated themselves in Hong Kong following the Qing Dynasty's collapse under Japanese attacks. With its increasing population due to their staggering immigrant demographic, Hong Kong became a force to be recloned with. With British Hong Kong becoming an important temporary home for countless refugees, the likelihood for a state-wide rebellion lessened. -
Japan Seizes Control of Hong Kong
Only a day after attacking the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese military swept down from Guangzhou to Hong Kong. The British forces were unable to off the ruthless Japanese attacks, and quickly lost control of Hong Kong. When the Japanese were occupying the area, bloody massacres of countless Cantonese/Chinese civilians were not uncommon. Westerners however, were instead sent to relative safety of Stanley Prison. During and following this event, many fled to Macau to seek sanctuary. -
Japanese Surrenders Hong Kong to the British
The Japanese people were in the midst of colonizing Hong Kong until severe problems forced them to cede control of the area to the British. Amongst these problems were the food shortages and riots in Hong Kong. The overlords became more brutal and corrupt and the Chinese gentry were disenchanted. With Japan officially surrendering the Island to the British, Hong Kong residents were spared from a much harsher fate. -
Hong Kong Riots
At the height of the Cultural revolution in China, the Red Guards were immensely powerful and caused Chinese areas, including Hong Kong, to be unstable and on the verge of collapsing. Riots attacked the crown colony along with bombings, and crime rates skyrocketed as a result. Property values plunged all over Hong Kong, causing many displeased citizens. The Premier Chou Enlai has since restored order to China in the late 1960s. -
Hong Kong Returns to China
With the 99 year rent agreement drawing to a close on midnight of July 1st, 1997, Hong Kong once again belonged to China, ending its tenure as a crown colony of the British. The event was broadcasted on television and radio all across the world. -
Citations
"Hong Kong." History of. Lonely Island, 12 May 2012. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. Boland, Rory. "History of Hong Kong Timeline." About.com Carroll, John M. A Concise History of Hong Kong (2007) Lui, Adam Yuen-chung (1990). Forts and Pirates – A History of Hong Kong. Hong Kong History Society. p. 114 Tsang, Steve (2007). Hong Kong / Macau Travel. About.com, 12 July 2011. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. Tsang, Steve (1995). Government and Politics: A Documentary History of Hong Kong. Hong Kong University Press.
