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ers in 1842.
– Unofficial members were appointed in 1865.
– Three Ex-officio members were appointed in 1896.
– In 1926, Shouson Chow was appointed as the first Chinese unofficial member
to the Executive Council.
iii The Legislative Council
• It makes laws and votes taxes.
– There were three official members in 1843.
– Unofficial members were appointed in 1850.
– Five Ex-officio members were appointed in 1865.
– In 1880, Ng Choy was appointed as the first Chinese unofficial member to the
Legislative Council.
iv The Sanitary Board
• It was formed in 1883 to deal with municipal affairs.
– It was replaced by the Urban Council in 1935.
v The Heung Yee Kuk
• It advises the governor on New Territories matters.
– It was formed by local leaders of the New Territories in 1926.

3. Population Increase

a. Many Chinese people came to Hong Kong because of wars, unrest and famines in the Qing
government.
b. The population of Hong Kong increased rapidly from 7,450 people in 1841 to 300,660
people in 1901.

4. Problems in Early Years

a. Law and order

i The rapid increase in population led to many social problems.
ii There were many pirates in the waters around Hong Kong and robberies were
common and serious.
iii Solutions
• The government asked the British navy to get rid of the pirates.

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 • In 1844, a police force mainly formed by the Indians and the British was formed
to fight crimes.
• The Hong Kong government enforced a curfew on the Chinese during the period
1843-97.
b. Spread of diseases
i Public health worsened as a result of rapid population growth. Diseases became
rampant.
ii The government built public hospitals and set up the Sanitary Board to deal with
public health and municipal affairs.
iii A serious plague broke out in 1894 and more than 2,500 people died.

c. The third problem was natural disasters and about 2,000 people were killed in the typhoon
of September 24, 1874.

5. Education Developments

a. Chinese children were mainly educated in local schools before 1860.

b. These schools were built by village and religious bodies.

c. The government did not take a direct role in education until 1860.

d. Developments in education
i The government set up the Board of Education in 1860.
ii Central School, the first government school, was built in 1862.
iii English was taught in all government schools from 1878.
iv In 1912, the University of Hong Kong, the first university in the territory, was
founded.

B Growth of Hong Kong into and Entrepot

a. Early trade
i Hong Kong was declared a free port in 1841.
ii Many of foreign traders came to Hong Kong.
iii By 1900, Hong Kong handled 41% of China's foreign trade.

b. Early industries

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 i Boat-building and boat-repairing were the main industries in the early years of British
rule.
ii Local industries such as the match-making industry, the umbrella industry and the
rope-making industry started to develop in the 1880s.
iii Many Chinese industrialists came to Hong Kong after the 1911 Revolution.
iv They set up new industries such as the lamp industry, the paint-making industry and
the battery industry.

c. Developments of transport
i Sedan chairs, rickshaws and horse-drawn carts were the main kinds of transport in the
early years of British rule.
ii Since 1880, more forms of transport such as ferries, trams, trains, buses and planes
were developed.

d. Public works projects

i The demand for land increased because of industrial development and trade.
ii To meet the growing demand for land, the government has carried out many
reclamation projects since the 1850s.
iii Reclamation took place in Sheung Wan, Kennedy and Central.
iv Roads, houses, schools, factories and shops were built on reclaimed land.
v Many people came to live in the urban areas and urbanization started.
vi Reclamation continued and this helped to urbanize Hong Kong.

e. As an entrepot
i Developments in early years
• The developments in transport, trade and public works projects helped Hong Kong
grow into an entrepot.
ii The Suez Canal
• The opening of the Suez Canal (1869) shortened the route from Europe to China
and this encouraged China trade.
• Hong Kong benefited from the increase in China trade.
iii Hong Kong's geographical location
• Hong Kong has a deep harbour and is also situated on the trade route between
China and Europe.
• Hong Kong's unique geographical location helped Hong Kong develop into an
entrepot.
iv Bank and companies

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 • Many foreign banks and companies were set up in the early years of British rule.
• The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (now known as HSBC), the
Jardine, Matheson and Company and the Butterfield and Swire Company spent a
lot improving the port facilities in Hong Kong.
• Their investment helped Hong Kong grow into an entrepot.

C The Study of Local History through Buildings, Organizations and Streets

1. Buildings

a. The Antiquities and Monuments Office is responsible for preserving the declared
monuments in Hong Kong.
b. The declared monuments formed a part of the history of Hong Kong.
c. They are related to religion, British administration, education, postal services and transport
and developments in Hong Kong.

2. Social Organizations

a. The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals

i The Tung Wah Hospital was formed by Chinese community leaders in 1872.
ii The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals consists of Tung Wah Hospital, Kwong Wah
Hospital and Tung Wah Eastern Hospital.
iii It is a charitable organization.
iv It provides free medical services, free burial services and education for local people.

b. The Po Leung Kuk

i It is also known as the Society for the Protection of Women and Children.
ii It was formed by Chinese community leaders as a charitable organization in 1878.
iii It helped kidnapped young maids and children by giving them food and places to live.

3. Religious Organizations

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 a. The Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Church were active in the early years of
British rule.
b. They provided various kinds of services and they built churches, hospitals, cemeteries and
schools in Hong Kong.
c. They played an important role in local education. Ying Wah College and St. Paul's College
are the oldest colleges set up by religious bodies.

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b. The Qing government wanted to use it to defend Kowloon against the British on Hong
Kong island.
c. It failed to stop the aggression of Britain since China was forced to cede the Kowloon
peninsula to Britain in 1860.
d. China retained the administration of the Kowloon Walled City after the lease of the New
Territories to Britain in 1898.
e. The question of the control of the Kowloon Walled City was not solved until 1987 when
China and Britain agreed to demolish it.
f. The Kowloon Walled City became a park and was named the Kowloon Walled City Park.

6. Learning More about History

How and when Britain ruled over Hong Kong island, Kowloon and the New Territories

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