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Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the United Kingdom from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the British occupation of Hong Kong Island in 1841, during the First Opium War between the British and the Qing dynasty.
- 1996 estimate
handover of Hong Kong, transfer of the British crown colony of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty, ending 156 years of British rule. After a formal handover ceremony on July 1, 1997, the colony became the Hong Kong special administrative region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Hong Kong's handover: How the UK returned it to China. Why was Hong Kong British, how was it returned to China and what does the future of the city look like?
The Qing dynasty ceded Hong Kong to the British Empire in 1842 through the Treaty of Nanjing, ending the First Opium War. Hong Kong then became a British crown colony. Britain also won the Second Opium War, forcing the Qing Empire to cede Kowloon in 1860, while leasing the New Territories for 99 years from 1898.
香港主权移交. Transcriptions. The handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China was at midnight on 1 July 1997. This event ended 156 years of British rule in the former colony, which began in 1841.
- 1 July 1997; 26 years ago
Learn how Hong Kong became part of the British Empire through two wars: the First and Second Opium Wars. Explore maps, sources, and treaties to understand the causes and consequences of the opium trade.
1 day ago · Hong Kong, special administrative region of China, located to the east of the Pearl River estuary on the south coast of China. Hong Kong was a British possession for decades until it rejoined China in 1997. It is a vibrant cultural and financial center of Chinese society.
