How 156 years of British rule shaped Hong Kong
Summary
TLDRThis script explores the British influence on Hong Kong, from its colonial past to its cultural blend today. It delves into the city's transformation under British rule, highlighting cricket, trams, and tea as symbols of this era. The narrative also touches on the historical opium trade, leading to the Opium Wars and Hong Kong's eventual cession to Britain. The script poignantly captures the handover of Hong Kong back to China in 1997, reflecting on the complex cultural identity and the challenges of this transition. It sets the stage for discussing the ongoing cultural and political tensions between Hong Kong and Mainland China.
Takeaways
- 🇬🇧 Hong Kong was a British colony with a strong British influence, including cricket, trams, and double-decker buses.
- 🌆 The city's infrastructure and some of its traditions, like the ferry service and road names, were established by the British.
- 🍵 Tea was a significant factor in British-China relations, leading to the Opium Wars and Hong Kong becoming a British colony.
- 🚢 The British government faced a crisis due to a shortage of silver for tea trade, which they resolved by smuggling opium into China.
- 🏰 The British introduced their own way of living and administration, evident in the homes on Victoria Peak.
- 🍃 The British and Chinese had distinct tea-drinking customs, reflecting their cultural differences.
- 🔄 Over time, British and Chinese cultures in Hong Kong began to blend, creating a unique fusion.
- 📜 The 99-year lease of Hong Kong to Britain was seen as 'forever' by the British, but the handover to China was inevitable.
- 🎉 The handover ceremony marked the end of British rule and the beginning of a new chapter for Hong Kong.
- 😔 There was a sense of betrayal and loss of identity among some Hong Kong citizens as British rule ended.
- 🔍 The script hints at future discussions on China's attempts to erase the cultural and political border between Hong Kong and Mainland China.
Q & A
What is the significance of the cricket grounds in Hong Kong's downtown area?
-The cricket grounds in downtown Hong Kong are significant because they have been the venue for cricket games since 1880, reflecting the British influence and culture that has been a part of Hong Kong's history.
How did Hong Kong's transportation system reflect British influence?
-The transportation system in Hong Kong was influenced by the British through the establishment of the ferry service in 1888 and the introduction of trams in the early 1900s, which are reminiscent of those found in London.
What is the origin of the double-decker buses in Hong Kong?
-The double-decker buses in Hong Kong were brought over by the British and are similar in appearance to those found in London, reflecting the British cultural impact on the city.
Why were many street names in Hong Kong British?
-Many street names in Hong Kong are British because of the city's history as a British colony, which has left a lasting impact on the naming conventions and urban landscape.
What is the Happy Valley racetrack known for?
-The Happy Valley racetrack is known for being reputedly the most beautiful in the east and is another example of British influence in Hong Kong.
Why did Britain start trading with China around the late 1600s and early 1700s?
-Britain started trading with China around the late 1600s and early 1700s because China had valuable goods such as porcelain and silk that the West wanted, but most importantly, Britain was in high demand for tea.
What was the British government's problem with the tea trade?
-The British government's problem with the tea trade was that the Chinese emperor would only accept pure silver bullion in exchange for tea, which eventually led to a depletion of Britain's silver reserves.
What unethical solution did Britain resort to when their silver reserves ran low?
-Britain resorted to smuggling opium, a highly addictive narcotic that was illegal in China, to exchange for Chinese silver, which they then used to buy tea.
What was the outcome of China's crackdown on the opium trade by Britain?
-The outcome of China's crackdown on the opium trade was the seizure and destruction of opium, which led to Britain's military retaliation in the form of the Opium Wars.
What was the result of the peace deals negotiated after the Opium Wars?
-As part of the peace deals, China agreed to give the rocky island of Hong Kong to Britain for 99 years, which the British diplomat considered 'as good as forever', indicating no intention of returning it.
How did the British and Chinese tea cultures differ in Hong Kong?
-The British tea culture in Hong Kong involved drinking tea with milk and accompaniments like crumpets and scones, while the Chinese preferred their tea without milk, often enjoyed with dim sum.
What was the significance of the handover ceremony for Hong Kong?
-The handover ceremony marked the end of British rule and the return of Hong Kong to China.
Outlines
🇬🇧 British Influence on Hong Kong
This paragraph discusses the deep-rooted British influence in Hong Kong, which was under British rule until 1997. It highlights the establishment of a modern western city within an eastern setting, with cricket being played since 1880, and the introduction of British institutions such as the ferry service, trams, and double-decker buses. The script also touches on the British's preference for tea and the historical events leading to the Opium Wars, which resulted in Britain acquiring Hong Kong as a colony. The paragraph concludes with the British administration's impact on Hong Kong's living standards and the cultural blend that has occurred over time.
🍵 The Tea Culture and Handover of Hong Kong
The second paragraph explores the cultural differences and eventual fusion between British and Chinese tea traditions in Hong Kong. It describes the British preference for milk in tea and the Chinese tradition of drinking tea without milk, often accompanied by dim sum. The narrative then shifts to the handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese sovereignty, marked by a ceremony symbolizing the end of British rule. Emotions of betrayal and a loss of identity are expressed by some Hong Kong citizens, reflecting the complex cultural and political transition. The paragraph ends with a preview of the challenges that arise as China attempts to erase the cultural and political boundaries between Hong Kong and Mainland China.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡British rule
💡Cricket
💡Ferry
💡Trams
💡Road names
💡Happy Valley racetrack
💡Bowls
💡Victoria Peak
💡Opium Wars
💡Tea
💡Handover ceremony
Highlights
Hong Kong's British influence is evident through its modern western city characteristics within an eastern setting.
Cricket has been played in Hong Kong since 1880, showcasing British cultural integration.
The British Cricket Club grounds are centrally located in downtown Hong Kong.
Hong Kong was a British colony until 1997, leaving a lasting impact on its culture.
The 1888 ferry service and early 1900s trams reflect British infrastructure in Hong Kong.
Street names and driving on the left side are British customs retained in Hong Kong.
Happy Valley racetrack is a symbol of British influence in Hong Kong.
Bowling greens in Hong Kong represent an old British sport.
British administration and lifestyle are typified by homes on Victoria Peak.
Trade between Britain and China in the 1600s and 1700s was driven by British desire for Chinese tea.
Britain's silver shortage led to the unethical opium trade with China.
The Opium Wars resulted from China's crackdown on Britain's illegal opium trade.
Hong Kong was ceded to Britain for 99 years as part of peace deals post-Opium Wars.
Hong Kong's handover to China marked the end of British rule and the beginning of a new chapter.
British and Chinese tea cultures have merged into a unique fusion in Hong Kong.
The handover ceremony symbolizes the end of British sovereignty and the rise of Chinese rule.
Hong Kong's identity crisis post-handover reflects the complexity of its cultural heritage.
The documentary explores the ongoing struggle between Hong Kong's British legacy and Chinese identity.
Transcripts
I'm in China, but it certainly feels like I'm in Great Britain.
Hong Kong, under British rule, has grown a modern western city in an eastern setting.
And right in the center of downtown Hong Kong are the British Cricket Club grounds.
Cricket has been played on these grounds since 1880.
Hong Kong is a peculiar place.
It's a British colony until just 1997 and
because of that the British culture here is so visible.
This ferry was set up by
the British in 1888.
Day and night the 5 star ferry comes and goes,
providing core harbor transportation.
These trams, brought over by the British in the early 1900s.
If you go to London you'll see double-decker buses that actually look exactly like the buses here.
Do you notice what side of the road they're driving on?
So many of the street names, road names, are British.
The famous Happy Valley racetrack, reputedly the most beautiful in the east.
Rolling through this park and I stumbled upon a legit bowling green,
a place where they play bowls.
Old, old, old, British sport.
That is just right
here in the middle of Hong Kong.
The British brought good administration and
a gracious way of living.
Typified by these homes and apartments on Victoria Peak.
Around the late 1600s, early 1700s, Britain started trading with China.
China had all sorts of stuff that the West wanted; porcelain, silk.
But there was one thing that Britain loved more than anything else: the herb called tea.
China was really the only place on earth that was producing tea on a massive
scale and the people back in Britain became totally hooked on it.
But there was one snag for the British government when it came to the tea trade, which is that
the Chinese emperor would only take pure silver bullion, basically coins and like
bars of silver, in exchange for tea. That was the deal and the British were fine
with that, they were like whatever man, we'll pay for this, it's such a valuable thing.
Eventually britain's treasury ran really low on silver and it became a national
crisis so Britain came up with a horribly unethical solution to their tea
silver problem.
They started smuggling in opium, the
highly addictive narcotic that was illegal in China.
Britain would sell
this opium in exchange for Chinese silver, which they then used to buy tea
and this was the solution to their problem: an illegal drug trade, which is
just mind-blowing to me.
Eventually, the Chinese government caught on to this illegal drug trade and
they cracked down.
They seized all the opium and threw twenty thousand chests
of opium into the sea.
Britain wasn't happy about China
seizing all of its opium, so it showed up with its big gunboats
and started a war, the Opium Wars.
They eventually negotiated a series of peace
deals and a part of those deals was that China was going to give this rocky
island that didn't really have many people living on it, to Britain.
In the text of the treaty they put that the British will have Hong Kong for 99 years,
but the diplomat who negotiated the treaty said later that in his mind
ninety-nine years was quote "as good as forever."
Meaning no intention of ever giving it back.
So Britain's thirst for tea
brought them into a war with China that eventually gave them a new colony: Hong Kong, here in Asia.
Hong Kong a British colony, a tourist paradise for duty-free
shoppers.
China, communist China, lies only a few miles away just across the border.
Just walked into the grocery store to meet Billy, who's a historian here and we're
just looking at a bunch of maps, which is like my kind of activity.
So one of the things the British did as soon as they got here, is they started
drawing their own borders in the city to divide them from the local Chinese.
Now let's talk about tea again.
It remains a symbol as to the different
cultures that exist here in Hong Kong. British influence versus the Chinese influence.
The British prefer milk in their tea with crumpets and scones and little cakes.
Whereas the Chinese will tell you they do not pervert their tea with milk
and they drink tea with dim sum, little buns and cakes.
A British tea situation looks very different.
These two traditions played
out side-by-side in the city for many years.
in a divided way with the Chinese
down in their crowded slums drinking their tea in their tea houses and the
British up on the hills in their aristocratic homes
sipping their milk tea, but eventually over time those boundaries dissolved and
the two cultures started to blend and fuse together.
To where today, the tea
culture has cropped up that is a perfect fusion of the two.
But I hate to break it to you Britain, 99 years is not forever like the British
diplomat thought it was going to be.
The actual handover ceremony is about to start.
British role officially comes to an end
with a handover ceremony just before midnight.
A five star flag of China, soon
to be sovereign over Hong Kong again.
I should like on behalf of Her Majesty
the Queen and of the entire British people to express our thanks, admiration,
affection, and good wishes to all the people of Hong Kong.
The stroke of midnight, the red star flag of China will go up.
For me, it was pure betrayal.
We're, like, being abandoned by the Brits.
There was pride in this mix of like the Chinese values
and I guess are the western values.
An identity of a citizen is not, like,
determined by your passport something.
It's something that you treasure,
the culture we are living in.
We feel lost in our identity.
Our generation has very complicated identities.
Britain giving Hong Kong back to China is the beginning of a new chapter for
the city and so next week I'm going to explain what happens when China tries to
erase this border between Hong Kong and Mainland China and how the people here
are resisting.
浏览更多相关视频
大律師公會前主席夏博義,首次披露接受國安處警誡會面後離港原因|Paul Harris reveals for the first time the reason for leaving HK.
China’s Most Powerful Weapon Is NOT What You Think
มองจีนจากสายตาวัยรุ่นจีนที่ไปโตที่อังกฤษ @immikeyu | Hello Stranger! EP.1 (Part 2/2)
The Complete History of China | Compilation
CCP National Security Law destroys Hong Kong. The US House legislates to address current situation.
Episode 6 Chinese Merchants and Charity Work {The History of Hong Kong Series} #rthk #hongkong
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)