By Joaquin Quiros
I’m writing this from my hotel room in Hong Kong, and
admiring the view of the city I was intrigued by the colonial history of Hong
Kong and decided to do my research on this vibrant world city. Its name means
“Fragrant Harbor” which I supposed it was 100 years ago. Hong Kong was, as we
all know, once a possession of the British Empire. This was their spoil from
winning the First Opium War in 1842 over the Qing Dynasty. The whole of Hong
Kong was ceded in perpetuity to The British in 1860, until 1898 when Hong Kong
and the New Territories were leased to The British for 99 years by The Qing
Dynasty. Unlike Macau which was a Chinese territory under Portuguese governance
Hong Kong essentially belonged to the British and did what they could to leave
their mark on it. Hong Kong was a trading post, a Freeport which granted free
trade.
Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR5OnBM345w
As a center of international trade in Asia Hong Kong
embodied capitalist ideals, it being a British colony also served well in its
raised standards. Hong Kong served as a safe haven for Chinese citizens fleeing
Mao’s Communist takeover in 1949 as well as the Cultural Revolution in the 60s.
Upon arrival of these immigrants both foreign and from the mainland, Hong
Kong’s economy thrived even further with the help of Enterprising mainlanders
escaping communist laws, the first taipans such as William Jardine and James
Matheson (the word “taipan” originated as a Cantonese slang term for big shots)
whose trading firms still hold up even today, and various other foreign
companies who sought greener pastures in Asia. These people all contributed to
the vibrant culture of Hong Kong, adding so much spice from other cultures
resulted in Hong Kong becoming a city where East truly meets West.
As the 99 year lease on Hong Kong was set to expire the
British attempted to negotiate with the Chinese for an extension or even giving
up the New Territories but keeping Kowloon and Hong Kong to govern. The British,
unlike the Portuguese were reluctant to give up their hold of Hong Kong as it
was the most economically prosperous Asian colony that they possessed. The
Portuguese on the other hand, viewed Macau as more of a chore to take care of,
eventually they happily handed back to China as two friends would do a borrowed
book or game. 1997 finally arrived and the Chinese had their eyes set on Hong
Kong for its economic prosperity. The British had no choice but to lower the
Union Jack on its last territory in Asia. After the handover the Chinese turned
Hong Kong into a Special Administrative Region under the “One Country: Two
Systems” policy, retaining their status as a Freeport and its capitalist way of
life. Even some British names like Victoria Harbor, Nathan Road, Admiralty and
Kennedy Town are still kept. Its future is yet to be seen as in 50 years or so
Hong Kong is to be reintegrated back into the mainland, however seeing China
embracing capitalism is a sign Hong Kong’s economic prosperity will never die
out.
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