visit by USS KAWISHIWI AO-146
British Crown Colony
..
| The history of
Hong
Kong
is far longer than that of the colony itself and begins more than 400
years
ago when the first europeans were attempting to penetrate China for
trade
purposes. The Portuguese traders were the first in the
area.
They arrived on the China coast in 1513 and, by persistent pressure,
managed
to obtain an establihment at Macao in 1557 through which they might
trade
with China. When British and Dutch traders followed, in the decade of the 17th century, they found that the Chinese refused to have any dealings with europeans other than the Portuguese. It was not until 1700 that British trade with China was established as a result of a change in Chinese Policy. During the negotiations between the British plenipotentiary and the representitive of the Chinese Emporer following the opium war of 1839-42, the island of Hong Kong was offered to British traders as a depot. The cession of the island was confirmed in the treaty of Nanking in 1842 and Hong Kong was from the start established as a free port, open to all. Kowloon and the small stonecutter's island were ceded to Britian in 1860 by the convention of Peking and 1898, the area known as the new territories was leased to Britian for 99 years. During its early years, Hong Kong was not highly regarded by the British public. It had an unenviable reputation for disease, typhoons, pirates and other inconveniences. The name itself is thought to be derived from anglicization of the Chinese name meaning Houng's Harbor, the haunt of a notorious character name Houng. |