British Influence Persists In Hong Kong

Even After 1997, Britain's Culture Holds Sway in the Former Colony

Feb 25, 2009 James Ellsworth

Great Britain ceded Hong Kong to China after ruling the colony for over 150 years. The sun may have set on the British Empire here but the afterglow is still evident.

Great Britain gained control of Hong Kong after the 1st Opium War in 1842 and Kowloon in 1860. On July 1, 1898 the British also leased the New Territories from China for 99 years. The end of that convention in June 30, 1997 saw what began as a British East Inda Company holding given back to China and replaced by a 50 year transition of "one country, two systems". However the presence of the British for a century and a half has left its mark on Hong Kong in historical place names, colonial continuances, and commercial globalization.

Historical Place Names

British street and place names are legion on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon.

• Victoria as in Harbour between Kowloon and Hong Kong, as in Park and Queen's College on the north side, and as in Peak, the highest on the island. Queen Victoria reigned at time Hong Kong was added to the British Empire.
• Kowloon's main thoroughfare is Nathan Rd., named after a British governor of Hong Kong.
• Salisbury, the waterfront boulevard is named after Lord Robert Gasocoyne (another street) Cecil Salisbury who was prime minister 3 times as well as foreign minister for during Victoria's reign

Colonial Continuances

The British may have given back Hong Kong but they haven't given over many practices that the former colony is known for. For instance

1. in transportation, one can stil ride double-decker buses; drive on the left or British side (while mainland China is on the right); take the Peak Tram, a cable car funicular engineered by Phineas Kyrie & William Hughes in 1888 that Steve Fallon of Lonely Planet (Hong Kong & Macau, 2004, p. 88,350) says carries 95,000 passengers a day; or ply Victoria Harbour on the Star Ferries which also began in 1888 and transported refugees from Kowloon as the Japanese invaded in 1941.
2. in lodgings and eating habits, one can have afternoon tea at the posh 1928 Peninsula Hotel where the British surrendered to the Japanese in a third floor room Christmas Day; or stay at the less expensive neighbour, the Salisbury YMCA which has connections to governors and the Duke of Edinburgh.
3. in politics, the legislative council of 60 still meets at the Legco Building, and Government House, home of former governors, is where the chief executive now resides. Also Hong Kong is still governed by English Common Law rather than China's civil law.

Commercial Globalization

Hong Kong is a special administrative region and maintains a preferred status for capitalism, along with nearby Macau. As such Hong Kong remains a centre for world renowned brand names.

• the skyline of Hong Kong is festooned with corporate names on skyscrapers, like AIG, ING, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung & Zurich
• shopping malls like Pacific Place have all the high end names like Gucci, Armani, Ferragamo, or Prado to name a few
• fashion knockoffs are available aplenty in sites like the Ladies Market where hawkers can sell "real" Rolexes and Burberry products. According to Alessandra Galloni (Wall Street Journal, Feb. 3, 2006) "a Hong Kong market was selling copies of Louis Vuitton handbags unveiled in Paris but weren't yet in stores"

The British touch can be found in so many ways in its former colony, from the original Rugby Sevens' Tournament held annually at the end of March to the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong looking after its business interests.

The copyright of the article British Influence Persists In Hong Kong in S Asian/Chinese Affairs is owned by James Ellsworth. Permission to republish British Influence Persists In Hong Kong in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Hong Kong Island

double decker tram

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