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Chapter 21

History

Hong Kong marked its 13th year as a Special Administrative Region of China in 2010, managing its affairs under the 'one country, two systems' concept that has enabled it to continue growing as a financial centre and a strategic location for foreign companies to conduct business in the mainland of China and the Asian region.

Hong Kong opened a new chapter in its eventful history at the stroke of midnight on June 30, 1997 when it rejoined China from which it had been separated for more than 150 years.

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The handover as the historic event is commonly called of British rule to Chinese sovereignty was marked by the lowering of the British and Hong Kong flags and the hoisting of the Chinese national and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region flags, a ceremony that was carried out with great protocol.

The changeover allows Hong Kong people to maintain their lifestyles, rights and freedoms for 50 more years, an edict enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

Hong Kong-Mainland relations have become markedly stronger since the handover. Tens of thousands of Hong Kong people now work and live in the Mainland, social stability is exemplary, and the economy is growing alongside the Mainland's impressive development.

Archaeological Background

Archaeological studies in Hong Kong began in the 1920s and have uncovered evidence of ancient human activities at many sites along the winding shoreline, testifying to events spanning more than 6 000 years. Archaeologically, Hong Kong is probably a tiny part of the far greater cultural sphere of South China, itself as yet imperfectly known.

Despite suggestions that local prehistoric cultures developed out of incursions from North China or Southeast Asia, a growing number of scholars believe that the prehistoric cultures within the South China region evolved locally, independent of