Hong Kong is a fascinating city with an equally interesting history. The ‘New York of Asia’ was once a humble fishing village. Over time it evolved into a strategic military port and then grew into the busy Hong Kong of today: one of the largest financial centres in the world.
The Hong Kong that we know today emerged after the defeat of China’s Qing dynasty. After the First Opium War in 1842, Hong Kong was relinquished to Great Britain and became a British colony. In 1898, Kowloon, the New Territories and 235 remote islands were leased to Great Britain for 99 years. In 1997, Hong Kong was handed back to China.