History of Hong Kong
The history of Hong Kong begins in 1842 at which time the Island known as Hong Kong, meaning "Fragrant Harbor," became the first British possession in China as a result of China's defeat in the so-called "Opium War" and the imposition of the first of a number of "unequal treaties" (a term used to describe treaties which were imposed upon the vanquished). Prior to Britain taking possession, the island was home to a few fishing communities; lacking good sources of water, it had few permanent residents. Britain had used Hong Kong and other islands as resting and refueling stops in its growing China trade; Hong Kong was also frequented by pirates and the British often colluded with them, especially in the banned opium trade. Britian requested the cession of Hong Kong so that it would have its own colony just as the Portuguese had had Macau for the previous 300 years (since 1557). One of the issues at stake in the Opium War (1839-1841) was the status of Macau as the Chinese had decreed that all ships, from all nations must trade with China ONLY through the offices of the Portuguese on Macau. The British were offended at this and wanted free trade, which the Treaty of 1842 partially provided.
When the British were first granted the island of Hong Kong in perpetuity, the British parliament was incensed and felt that they had been given a "worthless piece of rock." However, the colony grew rapidly as factories (the term for warehouses), banks, stores, ship repair facilities, etc sprang up. The problems of lack of space and water on Hong Kong island limited the expansion of the British colony. Most of the island consists of rocky mountains. Thus, a chief aim of the British in the second Anglo -Chinese War (1858-1860) was the expansion of its colony. This was achieved with the treaty in 1862 with the signing of the convention of Beijing which ceded a mainland area across the harbor from Hong Kong island, known as Kowloon, meaning 9 dragons, a very auspicious name. Again, this area was ceded to the British in perpetuity and, with its acquisition, the colony greatly expanded.
The British colony prospered and expanded and soon became famous as the most innovative and reliable center in Asia for banking, shipping and insurance. However, Kowloon also suffered from lack of water and arable land and in 1898, the British jumped on the bandwagon of nations demanding territory from China and demanded to be given a large area adjoining Kowloon, which became known as the NewTerritories. Larger than both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, this acquisition, unlike the previous two, was not given to Britain in perpetuity, instead, the British were given a 99 year lease on the area, a lease which expired in 1997. The area continued to prosper and to grow as a central distribution point for East West trade.
Events in China naturally impacted Hong Kong, but, by and large, the British created a two tiered system in Hong Kong, with many perks, including excellent schools and hospitals, for the rulers and their assistants, while doing little to improve the conditions of the majority of the residents of the area. Hong Kong, however, did become a center of both missionary activity and educational opportunities for young Chinese. It also became a center for those who opposed first the Qing, and later the Republican and Communist governments. For example, Kang You Wei, fleeing a death sentence after the coup which ended the "100 days of Reform", sponsored by the Emperor with Kang's encouragement, first took refuge in Hong Kong and then went to Japan. Likewise, Sun Yat-sen, the Father of Modern China, took refuge in Hong Kong more than once after a failed uprising left him in danger of arrest.
Hong Kong experienced few side effects from World War I other than the out-migration of about 60,000 Chinese residents who feared that the Colony would be attacked. However, they soon returned, beginning Hong Kong's population climb from 530,000 in 1916 to 1.6 million by 1941 and the outbreak of World War II. With the migration of many mainland Chinese from 1918 until 1941, Hong Kong experienced much of China's revolutionary change. For example, in 1922 Hong Kong experienced its first seamen's strike, directed, like those in China, against foreign control, bad living and working conditions, and the unequal treaties. In December, 1941, the Japanese invaded and, after 4 days of fighting, occupied Hong Kong. The Chinese population was terrorized (the Japanese declared all women to be prostitutes and thus fair game for the soldiers), the Westerners were herded first into FortStanley and later into concentration camps or sent to labor camps in Japan. The Westerners endured 3 ½ years of brutal captivity, whether on Hong Kong or in Japan (Japan had not signed the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners and thus did not consider itself bound by those provisions).
In August 1945, as the atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Japanese surrendered, Sir Cecil Harcout led a British fleet into Hong Kong harbor to re-establish His Majesty's presence in the British Crown Colony. As Civil war raged in China, Hong Kong attempted to keep out refugees, maintain its independence and regain its world status as one of the most important banking, shipping and commercial areas in Asia. In 1949, with the collapse of the Guomindang government and the flight of Jiang Jie Shi (Chiang Kai Shek) to Taiwan, Communist troops massed along the border between GuangdongProvince and Hong Kong's NewTerritories; a "Bamboo Curtain" descended, cutting off contact. Chinese armies could easily have taken Hong Kong in 1949 or at any time thereafter. That they did not, speaks volumes for Hong Kong's role as a major financial center of Asia. It was through Hong Kong banks that most of China's foreign commerce and money was transferred during the years when the country was shut out of normal commerce. Hong Kong grew and became more and more prosperous, but always with a sense of waiting for the future. Hong Kong experienced waves of refugees at times when China was undergoing difficulties, such as the famines following the Great Leap in 1958 and during the Cultural Revolution.
As the deadline for the expiration of the 99 year lease on the NewTerritories drew near, discussions were held between the British and the Chinese on the fate of Hong Kong. Deng Xiao Ping refused to consider breaking up the area and demanded that all of Kong know, including the two areas ceded "in perpetuity" to Britain, be returned in 1997. On December 19, 1984, Britain and China agree that Hong Kong would become a "special administrative region" of China as of July 1, 1997. China agreed to give Hong Kong an unprecedented measure of autonomy, to allow its existing social and economic systems to remain unchanged for the following 50 years. China declared that Hong Kong would be governed under a "One Country, Two Systems" policy. In spite of concerns raised by the crackdown on students in Tiananmen in 1989, and the attempts of the British to finally establish as semblance of democratic institutions in Hong Kong, the handover took place on July 1, 1997 as scheduled. British television portrayed the event in all its sadness, pomp and ceremony; Chinese television, broadcast from Tiananmen Square, was up-beat and joyous in welcoming Hong Kong back to China. Since its return to China, Hong Kong has had its first elections, and its business has continued to grow, in spite of fears for the future.
A good site for more details on Hong Kong history as well as its government, people geography, economic status, etc, is the following commercial site (once you are one this site, scroll down and on the right side of the site, you will be able to click on History or a variety of other topics.