How was Hong Kong in the 1800s?

Writer - Nicholas

Photographer - Nicholas

Published August 30, 2024

The Opium War (1839–1842) is seen in this historical image, which shows British naval dominance along China's coast as they compelled open trade in opium.

In the 1800s, living in Hong Kong had many challenges; problems with the health system, restricted lifestyles, and poor infrastructure. The frequently small and filthy living quarters often led to outbreaks of disease and famine. 

Despite these challenges, Hong Kong was a growing global hub for trade and business, drawing visitors from around the world. The city was already becoming a hub of diverse cultures and languages. There were opportunities for people to earn a living and create a better future. The 1800s was a period of huge growth and transformation for Hong Kong, which established the groundwork for the city to become the modern metropolis it is today.

This is the Bowen Road City of Victoria Boundary Stone from 1903, a historical marker that illustrates Hong Kong's colonial past and its development within its modern surroundings.

Economic History of Hong Kong

Hong Kong's strategic location has played a significant role in shaping its political and economic history. The two main islands of Hong Kong, Lantau Island and Hong Kong Island, together with the hinterland of the mainland, make up the territory. As a result, it serves as Southeast China's Guangdong province's natural geographic port.

Since Hong Kong was founded as a commercial entrepot for China's regional and international trade, and it continues to play this function now, there is, in a sense, a great deal of continuity in Hong Kong's place in the international economy. 

Hong Kong developed into one of the world's most significant global financial hubs from a somewhat unpopulated area at the start of the 1800s. 

Pre-Colonialism 

The name board of Tung Wah Hospital, a symbol of healthcare in Hong Kong. Founded by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, it represents years of dedication to provide essential healthcare through charity.

In the 19th century, the British thirst for tea, an emblem of its growing middle and upper class, was quenched with leaves heavily imported from Asia to meet the demand back at home.

This set the stage for a series of events that would forever alter the course of Hong Kong's history. China, holding a monopoly over the tea market, found itself in a lopsided trade arrangement with Britain, which paid for its tea obsession with silver, benefiting the Chinese economy greatly.

In a bid to counteract this huge cost, Britain cunningly introduced opium, cultivated in India, into the Chinese market. This not only balanced the trade deficit by creating a demand for opium in exchange for tea but also led to widespread addiction and societal issues within China. The Chinese government's efforts to stem the tide of opium were met with British resistance, which led to the outbreak of the First Opium War in 1839.

The subsequent British victory and the Treaty of Nanking in 1842 was a defining moment in Hong Kong’s history, the agreement compelled China to cede Hong Kong Island to the British, as well as opening additional ports to foreign trade. Thus began Hong Kong's transformation from a modest fishing village into a pivotal British colonial trading outpost. 

The start of colonialism

The Court of Final Appeal Building in Central Hong Kong displays the city's past and the Eastern and Western elements.

In the early days of Hong Kong under British rule, the territory was a land of promise but also of hardship. The settlers from distant lands, drawn to its shores by the lure of opportunity, were met with a climate and challenges that tested their resolve. Typhoons, with their fierce winds and merciless rains, were just one of nature's trials. Disease, too spread amongst the inhabitants, with outbreaks of the bubonic plague claiming over 20,000 lives across the decades.

Amid all of this, a division formed, a segregation that mirrored the other British colonies at the time. British families lived in the haven of the Victoria, or Central district and had lavish, luxurious lives. Their homes, perched atop the mountainous areas like the Peak where they benefited from a cooler and less stifling environment, were a complete contrast to the living conditions of the Chinese population.

The Chinese, the backbone of the colony's labor force, found themselves relegated to the western fringes, in areas that could only generously be termed as neighborhoods. Here, in the makeshift shantytowns, the conditions were nothing short of appalling. The dwellings, cramped and makeshift, were a breeding ground for disease and despair. This is where the bubonic plague claimed most of its victims. 

This complete contrast of existence, with prosperity and despair lying in such close, yet segregated, proximity, is typical of colonial Hong Kong. The British, in their elevated enclaves, lived a life apart from the Chinese, who had a much poorer existence. 

The International Finance Centre (IFC) in Central Hong Kong is a symbol of the city's financial power, glowing against the night sky.

The emergence of an Economy and the growth of two communities.

Hong Kong quickly became a centre for financial and business services in the region when the Chinese handed it over to the British in 1842 under the provisions of the Treaty of Nanking. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, and merchant companies like Jardine Matheson primarily drove this development. 

The famous "Monster Building" on King's Road, a building that the locals refer to as a monster because of its appearance.

In 1841, Hong Kong's population was only 7,500 Chinese and a handful of foreigners; by 1859, however, the Chinese accounted for approximately 85,000 of the total population, with 1600 more from overseas. The banking, shipping, and merchant sectors dominated the economy, still centred around trade at this time. The demands of a growing local population were met by an increasing range of service and retail businesses as the years went on. 

The period from the 1870s to 1900 marked a significant era in the history of Hong Kong as it matured into a bustling British Crown Colony. Amid the peak of colonialism in Asia, Hong Kong evolved into a hub for Western travelers, highlighted by notable visits such as that of Ulysses S. Grant in 1879. This era was marked by grand displays of colonial unity and the integration of prominent figures from diverse backgrounds. The Peak Tramway, built in the 1890s, revolutionised access to Victoria Peak and transformed it into a coveted residential area for the colony's elite. 

The Aqua Luna, a red-sailed Chinese junk boat in Victoria Harbor, which represents Hong Kong's maritime history and the city's modernity and tradition.

Parallel to the British colonial society's advancements, significant progress was being made within the Chinese community also. The founding of the Tung Wah Hospital in 1872 established a critical healthcare institution that also played a vital role in community leadership and served as a bridge between the Chinese population and British administrators. The Hong Kong College of Medicine opening in 1887 furthered the community's development, offering Chinese individuals the chance to pursue medical degrees and better themselves. 

The wider education system in 19th century Hong Kong slowly transitioned from a traditional Chinese system to one increasingly influenced by British colonial policies and missionary activities, before gradually modernizing and integrating Western approaches as the two communities became more and more intertwined by the end of the Century. Socioeconomic

Landscape: Class Structure and Occupations

This is the 1903 City of Victoria Boundary Stone on Wong Nai Chung Road, a poignant reminder of Hong Kong's rich history amidst modern developments.

Hong Kong's socioeconomic situation in the 1800s was both hierarchical and diversified. The wealthy Chinese and British businessmen who controlled most of the trade and business in the city were at the top. They led opulent lives and lived in grand, lavish homes. The middle-class, which included professionals like physicians, attorneys, and teachers lived a comparatively inferior, but fulfilled life. They didn't have a life as luxurious as the upper class, but they still lived comfortably.

The majority of the population consisted of domestic workers, laborers, and coolies, making up the lower class. They often put in long hours and received low wages while working in manufacturing facilities, the ports, or working in the homes of the rich. There was little chance for people in lower social classes to move up the social ladder and improve their lives. This social hierarchy greatly impacted the lifestyle of people in Hong Kong, reflecting the inequalities which were rife in the region at the time. In contrast to the widespread poverty of its Citizens, Hong Kong's economy flourished due to the active trade routes that joined it with the global community, bringing businesses of all kinds through the city.

Due to its ideal geographical position, the city became a hub for trade and transport, drawing workers and merchants from all over Asia. New businesses like manufacturing and banking created new opportunities for work alongside the region’s traditional occupations such as farming and fishing. Hong Kong's growth as a global trading hub was greatly influenced by this dynamic, mix of people and businesses that called Hong Kong home. However, the differences in opportunity and income between the classes of the city’s population highlight the difficulties many people encountered in Hong Kong's complex socioeconomic environment in the 1800s.

The skyline of Central in Hong Kong is stunning and spectacular with famous buildings like the Mandarin Oriental hotel and the feng shui-inspired HSBC headquarters.

Conclusion

Because of its location, a system of trade routes was made possible, which led to economic affluence and social inequality, the native Chinese community living in squalor whilst the British made their fortunes and lived in luxury homes at Victoria Peak. While British colonialism went on to forge the diverse, vibrant high-rise dominated Hong Kong we know today, the early part of that period in the 19th Century was tough for the local population.

However, despite these challenges, Hong Kong prospered as a cosmopolitan city that embraced a wide range of languages, cultures, and customs, helping to set the stage for its future rise to prominence as a global financial hub.

The Blue House, a four-story shophouse in the 1920s that reflects the Chinese tenement buildings design in which families lived above the stores, is a colorful representative of Hong Kong's architectural legacy.