The historical development of Sheung Wan Hong Kong Island for the past 100 years (港島上環區百年變遷講座)

The Seminar named "The historical development of Sheung Wan Hong Kong Island for the past 100 years" organized by Hong Kong Society for Quality (HKSQ) on 24th Jan 2013. The seminar aimed that our members, whose put aside the day-to-day management work, understand our community in the view of the history and culture of Hong Kong through a talk and a visit.

自十九世紀英軍佔領香港島後，建立維多利亞城，把中西區發展為香港的經濟及行政重心。城市的開發及建設，吸引了不少國內華人來港謀生，有從事體力勞動的、小販買賣的，亦有商貿的，部份冒起的華人領袖以及東華醫院尤為華人社群帶來重大意義。華洋住宅的分野，形成區內獨特的景象，華麗的西式建築另一邊是密集的唐樓商住地。至今我們仍可於中、上環一帶處處看到歷史的痕跡。 本講座帶領會員認識上環區一帶的地方的歷史、人民生活、古蹟建築等，看似熟 悉而平常又容易被忽略的事物。HKSQ 希望透過此講座及考察，讓會員放下日常處理的工作，以歷史文化的角度去認識我們的香港及我們的社區。

Mr. CP Chow (Former Chairman of HKSQ and Vice-Chairman of Hoi Bun Heritage Docents Society) gave us this talk and arranged practice walk on 26th Jan 2013 (Saturday Morning).

Firstly, CP briefed the history of China which related to Hong Kong since Song dynasty (中原宋朝皇室敗逃香港) - 1277 to 1279. Then Mongolia established the Yuan Dynasty (蒙古立元朝後的繁盛香港), Hong Kong became a prosperous city for producing salt and pearl. In 1659, Zheng Chenggong (鄭成功) resisted Qing dynasty in Taiwan. Qing dynasty started coastal evacuation order that no people lived in Hong Kong until 1669.

Opium War (鴉片戰爭) was started in 1840 because Lin Zexu (林則徐) burnt all opium. Then British solider landed the Hong Kong Island on 26 Jan 1841. The land point called "Possession Point".

The Treaty of Nanking 《南京條約》 was signed on 29th Aug 1842, indicating the end of the First Opium War (1839–42) between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Qing Dynasty of China. It is the unequal treaties to make Hong Kong Island a crown colony.

After the history description, CP introduced the visit path in Sheung Wan and we would visit the historical building on coming Saturday.

Mr. Karson Chui (Chairman of HKSQ) presented a souvenir to Mr. CP Chow.

Reference:
HKSQ leaflet - http://www.hksq.org/HKG_SheugWan100YearsLectureR2.pdf
Hoi Bun Heritage Docents Society (海濱文化導賞會) - http://www.hoibun.org/
海濱文化導賞會: facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Docent.lym/info