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Research Essay # 1
27 January 2015
History of Hong Kong
The history of one of the top trade centers and technological hubs of Hong Kong was a
very unusual one. Hong Kong today is one of the top economic and trade cities in the world.
Technology is a very important part of Hong Kongers lives today and is a very advanced first
world society, with one of the highest GDP’s in the entire world. The population of Hong Kong
today is 7 million people, and the population is very ethnically diverse and is abundant of people
from many backgrounds (“Hong Kong” 1). Along with the many diverse people, and the
technological feats that surround Hong Kong and it’s sophisticated people, architectural feats
surround Hong Kong with the abundance of skyscrapers. Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers of
any city in the world today. The past of Hong Kong however, was very different than what
occurs today in the modern and bustling city.
The beginning of contemporary Hong Kong started around 180 years ago. Hong Kong
during that time was nothing like today. It was sparsely populated by few ethnic Chinese, and
had been a place where coastal pirates were known to gather. During the Opium War of 1839-
1942, the British had occupied this island and its surrounding lands (“Hong Kong” 2). After the
Chinese lost the Opium War, the Chinese surrendered this area of land which became known as
Hong Kong.
In 1841 the Convention of Chuenpi was arranged when it was decided that Hong Kong
would be ceded to Britain (Lowe 1). A year later, the Treaty of Nanking which was both agreed
upon the Chinese and the British, said that Hong Kong would become a British Crown Colony
(Lowe 1). During the 1800’s the British managed to get more land around it’s prized colony in
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the two Conventions of Peking of 1860 and 1898 (Lowe 1). The surrender of Kowloon and other
surrounding areas by the Chinese into the relatively new Crown Colony, was the result of the
Superior British force of arms. Britain soon transformed Hong Kong into one of the top east-west
trading Centers in East Asia, and Hong Kong became known for its commercial banking,
shipping, and as a gateway to China’s treasures and goods by the British (“Hong Kong” 2).
Along with the economic uprising of Hong Kong, it was also known to be well governed.
However during this time the Chinese Mainland thought very differently of Hong Kong’s
prosperity. After the First and Second Opium Wars, the unequal treaties that were brought upon
the Chinese were of very little interest and many people in China thought that Hong Kong was
still part of China (Lowe 2). Loyalty was very confusing during this period of time for Hong
