Hong Kong during Imperial China

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The territories of Hong Kong first incorpated into Imperial China is at Qin Dynasty in 214 BC and onwards. The period ended when British acquired Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula and New Territories from Qing in 1842, 1861 and 1898 respectively.

Contents 1 Qin and Nam Yuet 2 Han 3 Tang 4 Song 5 Yuan

[edit] Qin and Nam Yuet

The territory was incorporated into China during the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC). The first emperor in China, Qin Shi Huang sent Yam Hiu (任囂) to occupy Guangdong, Guangxi and Guailin in 214 BC. Hong Kong is located in Nanhai Commandery and near the capital city Pun Yue.

When the Qin became unstable in the north, Chiu To, a general succeeded Yam Hiu and declared independent state Nam Yuet (203 BC - 111 BC). The area was firmly consolidated under Nam Yuet.

Unfortunately, the artifacts of these periods have not yet been found in Hong Kong.

[edit] Han

Nam Yuet was incorporated into Han Dynasty in 111 BC. Archaeological evidence indicates that the population has increased since the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220). In the 1950s, the tomb at Lei Cheng Uk from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 – 220) was excavated and archaeologists began to investigate the possibility that salt production flourished in Hong Kong around 2000 years ago, although conclusive evidence has not been found.

Tai Po Hoi, the sea of Tai Po, was a major pearl hunting harbour in China since Han Dynasty. The activities peaked during the Southern Han (917 to 971) and continued till Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644)

[edit] Tang

During the Tang Dynasty, the Guangdong region flourished as an international trading center. The Tuen Mun region in what is now Hong Kong's New Territories served as a port, naval base, salt production centre and later, base for the exploitation of pearls. Lantau Island was also the salt production centre where the salt smugglers riots broke out against the government.

[edit] Song

In 1276, during the Mongol invasion, the Southern Song Dynasty court moved to Fujian, then to Lantau Island and later to today's Kowloon City), but the child emperor, Zhao Bing, after being defeated in the Battle of Yamen, committed suicide by drowning with his officials. Tung Chung valley, named after a hero who gave up his life for the emperor, is believed to have been a base for the court. Hau Wong, an official of the emperor is still worshipped in Hong Kong today.

[edit] Yuan

However, during the Mongol period, Hong Kong saw its first population boom as Chinese refugees entered the area. Five families of Hau (Hou, 候), Tang (Deng, 鄧), Pang (Peng, 彭) and Liu (Liao, 廖) and Man (Wen, 文) were claimed to be among the earliest recorded familial settlers of Hong Kong. Despite the immigration and light development of agriculture, the area was still relatively barren and had to rely on salt, pearl and the fishery trades to produce income.