|
The bustling city of Hong Kong was just a
collection of fishing villages when claimed by Britain in 1842
following the First Opium War with China. This failed attempt by the
Ching Dynasty to stop the British trading in opium led to Hong Kong
being ceded to Britain under the Treaty of Nanking that year. The
Kowloon Peninsula was handed over in 1860 and a 99-year lease on the
New Territories, comprising the area north of Kowloon up to the
Shenzhen River plus 235 outlying islands, was granted in 1898.
Under the unique principle of 'One Country, Two Systems', Hong Kong
returned to Chinese sovereignty on 1 July 1997 as a Special
Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. This
arrangement allows Hong Kong to enjoy a high degree of autonomy,
retaining its capitalist system, independent judiciary and rule of
law, free trade and freedom of speech.
Hong Kong's magnificent harbour has been the key to its development
as a trading port and entrepôt for China, progressing through an
industrial era to become a leading financial and services centre in
Asia. The unique blend of eastern and western influences, matched by
diverse attractions and stunning countryside, has also made Hong
Kong Asia's prime tourist destination. |
