The history of Hong Kong before the Opium War

The history of Hong Kong can be traced back to the Eastern Han Dynasty.

/kloc-The discovery of Li Tomb in 0/955 proves that Hong Kong was inhabited as early as 2000 years ago.

During the Tang Dynasty, many China people lived in Castle Peak (Tuen Mun), which was a prosperous port at that time.

There were also troops stationed in the Tang Dynasty to defend the entrance to the Pearl River. Foreign ships must pass through Castle Peak before they can transfer to Guangzhou.

In the Song Dynasty, an official named Deng was sent to Guangdong as an official. After passing through the castle peak, he likes this place very much. Therefore, after his term ended, he and his family settled in Jintian Valley and established a village called "Wei Bei".

His descendants later established "Ji Qingwei".

Qing Qing soldiers 1 6 6 2 sent troops to the present New Territories and ordered villagers to braid their hair.

During the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong has always occupied an important position in foreign trade, because Hong Kong and Guangzhou are as close as lips and teeth, and Guangzhou is the only commercial port open to the outside world in the Qing Dynasty.

In the later trade with China, Britain discovered the importance of Hong Kong, and thought that if it could be set aside, it would be of great benefit to expand trade with China and other countries in the Far East.

So 1 8 4 1 year, after the Opium War between China and Britain, the defeated China was asked to cede Hong Kong.

Before the British occupation of Hong Kong, Hong Kong was basically a desert island. Some fishermen live in Stanley, Datandu and Shipai Bay in the south of the island, and Agongyan and Shuijing Bay in the east.

In other places, such as Huangniyong, Dengdizhou and Seven Sisters, there are some small village bays. At that time, there were about 3000 residents on the island.

the opium war

During Daoguang period of Qing Dynasty, Sino-British trade was in an unbalanced state. The British "East India Company" exported a large amount of opium to China, and the profits were amazing. In addition, the number of opium addicts in China has greatly increased. In view of this, Qing * * * worried about the constant leakage of silver in trade, worried that the social atmosphere was getting worse and worse, and had the intention of banning smoking.

1 8 3 9, Lin zexu was appointed as an imperial envoy and went to Guangzhou to ban smoking. After Lin Zexu arrived in Guangzhou, he ordered foreign businessmen to hand over the smoky soil and burn it at Humen Waterfront in Dongguan County, Guangdong Province. Lin Zexu also asked western businessmen not to import opium to China in the future. While China and Britain were wrestling, British soldiers shot and killed China villager Lin in Jianshazui Village, Jiulong Mountain, Baoan County, Guangdong Province.

Treaty of Nanjing

Qing * * * in the case of Enemy at the Gates, dare not resist.

1 8 4 2 On August 29th, Ileb, a senior citizen of the Qing court, negotiated with the representative of the British side (Ishimoto).

The two sides signed the treaty of nanking on the British "Gorgeous" moored on the Nanjing River.

Treaty of nanking is the first unequal treaty signed between China and the West in modern times. The treaty is divided into thirteen articles, the main contents of which include:

First, China and Britain will "reconcile" in the future. "Those who go to other countries will be protected by that country."

Second, China has opened "five-port trade" in Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ningbo and Shanghai, and Britain can send official diplomatic representatives such as consuls and butlers in these five port cities.

China ceded Hong Kong, a coastal island in Bao 'an County, Guangdong Province, to Britain.

Four, China compensation British opium price of six million and two thousand.

Five, China to cancel the "bank" system, and pay Britain three million two thousand as the number of commercial debts.

Six, China compensation for British military spending twelve million two thousand.

Seven, "the above reward is determined by the amount of silver, * * * twenty-one million taels, and six million taels will be paid at this time", and the remaining fifteen million taels will be delivered in installments in the future.

Eight, all British prisoners in China, all released.

9. All those who were imprisoned because of their contacts with the British or during the Opium War were also released.

Ten, agreed tariffs and provisions of the British goods, tax-free in a port according to law, that is, allowing China businessmen from all over China to pass through the tax road, without increasing taxes.

11. Parallel Chinese and English documents.

12. After China delivered the first batch of US$ 6.02 million, British troops withdrew from Nanking and Zhenjiang, and stopped obstructing the commerce in China provinces. At the same time, they withdrew from Zhenhai, the outer port of Ningbo. As for the British troops stationed in Zhoushan, Dinghai and Gulangyu, Xiamen, they didn't leave until China paid all 2,120 pieces of silver and actually opened five trading ports.

Thirteen, the treaty should be quickly submitted to the two emperors for approval, and change the contract.

Lease the new territories

1 8 9 8 is a very important year in the history of Hong Kong.

This year, the boundary of Hong Kong extended from North Kowloon to the banks of Shenzhen River in the north and Deep Bay in the west, which expanded the administrative area of Hong Kong by 10 times.

1 8 9 8, the great powers attempted to carve up China, and the Qing dynasty was defeated by the Qing dynasty, so Britain took the opportunity to ask the Qing court to lease the New Territories.

On June 9th of that year, the British envoys to China Ping Nale and Li Hongzhang signed the "Sino-British Special Terms for Expanding the Hong Kong Border" in Beijing, and Britain acquired the New Territories in the name of lease for 9 9 years, which took effect in July of 1 year.

N e w T e r r i t o r i e s (N E W T E R R I T O R E S) is a term coined by the British, which refers to the newly leased territory. Prior to this, these places belonged to the south of Xin 'an County, Guangdong Province, including outlying islands such as Daxing Mountain.

The "Clause" stipulates that Britain has "complete management power" over the New Territories, but China can keep the Kowloon Walled City and the original pier.