COLONIAL HONG KON G AND MODERN CHINA Interaction an d Reintegratio n Edited by Lee Pui-ta k # * * . * i t US . *t HONG KON G UNIVERSIT Y PRES S Hong Kon g University Pres s 14/F Hing Wai Centr e 7 Ti n Wan Praya Roa d Aberdeen Hong Kon g © Hon g Kon g Universit y Pres s 200 5 ISBN 96 2 209 720 0 All rights reserved. No portion o f thi s publication ma y be reproduce d or transmitted i n any for m o r b y an y means , electronic o r mechanical , including photocopy , recording , o r an y informatio n storag e o r retrieva l system, withou t prior permission i n writing fro m th e publisher . British Librar y Cataloguing-in-Publicatio n Dat a A catalogu e record fo r thi s book i s available fro m th e British Library . Secure On-lin e Orderin g http ://w w w.hkupress. org Printed and bound by United League Graphic & Printing Co. Ltd., Hong Kong, China. Hong Kon g Universit y Pres s i s honoure d tha t X u Bing , whos e art explores the complex themes o f language acros s cultures , has written th e Press' s nam e i n hi s Squar e Wor d Calligraphy . Thi s signals our commitment to cross-cultural thinking and the distinctive nature o f ou r English-languag e book s publishe d i n China . "At firs t glance , Squar e Word Calligraph y appear s to be nothin g more unusual than Chinese characters, but in fact i t is a new wa y of renderin g Englis h word s i n th e forma t o f a squar e s o the y resemble Chinese characters. Chinese viewers expect to be able to read Squar e Wor d Calligraph y bu t cannot . Wester n viewers , however are surprised to find they can read it. Delight erupts when meaning is unexpectedly revealed. " — Britta Erickson, The Art ofXu Bing Contents List of Illustrations vi i Acknowledgements i x About the Contributors x i Introduction 1 History of Hong Kong and History o f Modern China: Unravelling the Relationship Lee Pui-tak Part I: Histor y of Hong Kong 7 1. Th e Common People in Hong Kong History: Their Livelihood 9 and Aspirations Until the 1930 s David Faure 2. Religio n in Hong Kong History 3 9 Bernard H. K. Luk 3. Th e Sunday Rest Issue in Nineteenth Century Hong Kong 5 7 Louis Ha 4. Governorship s o f Lugard and May: Fears of Double Allegiance 6 9 and Perceived Disloyalt y Fung Chi Ming 5. Th e Making o f a Market Town in Rural Hong Kong: 8 9 The Luen Wo Market Chan Kwok-shing vi CONTENT S 6. Recordin g a Rich Heritage: Research in Hong Kong's "New 10 3 Territories" Elizabeth L. Johnson Part II: Hon g Kong and Its Relations With Modern China 11 5 7. Th e Contribution Made by Frederick Stewart (1836-1889) 11 7 Through the Hong Kong Government Education Syste m and Its Pupil, to the Modernization o f China Gillian Bickley 8. Th e Use of Sinology in the Nineteenth Century: 13 5 Two Perspectives Revealed in the History o f Hong Kong Wong Man-kong 9. Th e Guangxi Clique and Hong Kong: Sanctuary in a 15 5 Dangerous Worl d Diana Lary 10. Busines s and Radicalism: Hong Kong Chinese Merchants 16 9 and the Chinese Communist Movement, 1921-193 4 Chan Lau Kit-ching 11. Mad e in China or Made in Hong Kong? National Goods 18 5 and the Hong Kong Business Communit y Chung Wai-keung 12. Hon g Kong's Economic Relations With China 1949-1955 : 19 9 Blockade, Embargo and Financial Control s Catherine R. Schenk Notes 21 9 Chinese Glossary 26 5 Bibliography 27 3 Index 29 1 List of Illustrations Figures 11.1 Hon g Kong's promotion o f Chinese products 18 9 11.2 Ti n Chu in Hong Kong 19 0 11.3 Ti n Chu and National Goods Movement 19 0 11.4 A guohuo labe l in Hong Kong I 19 5 11.5 A guohuo labe l in Hong Kong II 19 6 11.6 Strateg y o f Chinese products in Hong Kong I 19 7 11.7 Strateg y o f Chinese products in Hong Kong II 19 8 12.1 Ton s of cargo in junks leaving Hong Kong 20 4 12.2 Hon g Kong's trade with China 1949-5 5 20 5 12.3 Hon g Kong's trade with China as a % of total trade 20 5 Tables 5.1 Th e subscription of shares in 194 8 9 5 5.2 Name s o f the managing directors in the company 9 7 5.3 Name s o f the chairmen o f the board of directors 9 7 7.1 Influenc e o f Frederick Stewart (1836-1889) o n Hong Kong 11 8 education 7.2 A comparison o f Hong Kong Chinese students studying 12 0 western knowledge, and learning a western languag e (usually, English) in 189 3 and March 199 7 7.3 Hon g Kong government Central School enrolments 12 1 1862-1905 7.4 Pupil s in the Hong Kong government education syste m 12 9 1862-1889 7.5 Frederic k Stewart and the Hong Kong government education 13 3 system's direct influence o n educational institutions in Hong Kong and China, 1862 - About the Contributors Gillian Bickley Formerly Senior Lecturer, Department of English, Hong Kong Baptist Universit y Chan Kwok-shin g Tutor, Chines e Civilizatio n Centre , Cit y University o f Hong Kong Chan Lau Kit-chin g Formerly Professor , Departmen t o f History , Th e University o f Hong Kong Chung Wai-keung Assistant Professor , Schoo l o f Economic s an d Social Sciences , Singapor e Managemen t University David Faure University Lecture r i n Moder n Chines e Histor y and Fellow of St. Antony's College, University of Oxford; currentl y Chai r Professo r an d Head , Department of History, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Fung Chi Ming Assistant Curator , Antiquitie s an d Monument s Office, Hon g Kong SAR Government Louis Ha Archivist, Hon g Kon g Catholi c Diocesa n Archives Elizabeth L. Johnson Curator, Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbi a Diana Lary Professor, Departmen t o f History , Universit y o f British Columbia Lee Pui-tak Research Assistan t Professor , Centr e o f Asia n Studies, The University o f Hong Kong xii ABOU T TH E CONTRIBUTOR S Bernard H. K. Luk Associat e Professor, Department of History, York University, Toronto ; currently Vic e President , Hong Kong Institute of Education Catherine R. Schenk Professo r o f Internationa l Economi c History , Department o f Economi c an d Socia l History , University of Glasgow Wong Man-kong Assistan t Professor, Department of History, Hong Kong Baptist University INTRODUCTION History of Hong Kong and History of Modern China: Unravelling the Relationship Lee Pui-tak The handover of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty in 199 7 marked a new phase in Hong Kong' s history. Politically, the new Specia l Administrativ e Region governmen t wa s se t up , an d th e quas i constitutio n Basi c La w decreed that Hong Kong should be ruled under the principle of One Country Two Systems . Implici t wa s tha t Chin a shoul d kee p it s hand s of f Hon g Kong's autonomou s affairs . Ho w have these political changes affecte d th e analytical perspectives of historians? Many will say they have not seen many changes. To me, a student of modern Chinese history, it is clear we are at a crossroads o f colonialism an d nationalism, not knowing very clearly whic h direction to take. We cannot cut off the history of Hong Kong from mode m China. The colonial histor y o f Hon g Kon g ca n be viewe d a s important t o the nationalistic histor y o f China, an d likewise, the nationalistic history o f China ca n be viewe d a s importan t t o the colonia l histor y o f Hon g Kong . The histories of Hong Kong and modern China have been interwoven sinc e Britain began the colonization of Hong Kong during the Opium War (1839— 1842). Hong Kon g wa s a Britis h colon y fo r mor e tha n 15 0 years . A n interesting question is how a small number of the British could successfull y rule over the predominant majority o f Chinese in Hong Kong? Apparently, Chinese collaboratio n playe d a n importan t role . Hon g Kon g histor y 2 LE E PUI-TA K textbooks usually state that Britain used Hong Kong as a stepping-stone to the much bigger market in China. However , no historians have taken a close look a t ho w Chines e merchant s i n Hon g Kon g followe d th e trail o f th e British. The y ha d mutua l benefit s o n the issu e o f Chin a trade . W e ar e accustomed to the idea that Hong Kong was a British colony, but actually it was a colony for China.