Everything I didn’t know about how Hong Kong came to be
Surprisingly, Steve Tsang’s Modern History of Hong Kong, A: 1841-1997 was actually pretty readable for containing a boatload of history packed into one book. I learned some interesting facts about China and Britain that I will highlight and comment on. The first starts with the following: “At the height of its power in the early fifteenth century, China was the only country that had the capability to deploy a naval task force of an estimated 317 ships and 27,000 men across great distances, as its navy sailed as far as Malindi on the east coast of Africa, just north of Mombasa.”[1] I knew China was powerful but did not realize how far ahead of other countries they were. The author mentions that other countries did not match this capability until over half a century later.[2] This fact became ironic when later in the book the author documents how a small British Navy fleet forced China to surrender, which ended with the Treaty of Nanking in 1840 and the British occupation of Hong Kong.[3]
I thought it was pretty classic that China’s tea trade to Britain became one of the most important imports for the country. Tsang explained, “The tea trade was important not only because tea had become practically a daily necessity in Britain by the 1830s, but also because the import duty London extracted from it was so high that it had also become a significant source of government income.”[4] Not only did they need tons of tea for daily “high tea”, but they relied heavily on the import duty to help run their government. I wonder if this explains why tea became such an important element of British culture. It was also interesting to read about how integrally involved China and Britain were due to extensive trade agreements before the war and the British occupation of Hong Kong. Due to this trade relationship and the monetary result for each country, the pressure was high to keep the products and the money flowing. The problem came when China decided they did not want opium coming into their country any longer due to the destructive nature of the drug on the Chinese culture.[5] The author highlights the sad reality concerning the results of the opium epidemic. “Since opium was not even mentioned in the treaty, it continued to be imported into China by British smugglers working with the cooperation of their Chinese partners and corrupt Chinese officials. Its illicit nature meant that it remained a source of tension.”[6] After reading Jackie Pullinger’s story, it is also sad to see what this drug did to imprison many people in Hong Kong.
Another interesting topic highlighted by the author was the difference in how the British and Chinese functioned within their respective legal systems. “Although the Chinese legal system was not simply primitive, arbitrary and barbaric, as it was generally seen by the British at the time, but was in fact highly developed and rationally based, it worked on principles fundamentally different from the British system.”[7] The way the Chinese approach the law reminded me of our discussion of how the Chinese use shame in their culture. “To the Chinese, justice was deemed to have been done not when the law had run its course but when the right decision was reached and implemented, whether this was achieved by strict adherence to the law or not.”[8] It appears that because their focus is on making the right decision, this puts the pressure on that person making the “right” decision, thus fearing the shame of a “wrong” decision instead of letting the law run its course. After reading Grassroots Asian Theology, I realized how ingrained the shame mentality is in the Chinese culture, and how this filters into every aspect of their lives. As I think about how our laws in America are interpreted by our judges, I realize how much we rely on them to make the “right” decision and interpret the laws fairly and justly. China today seems to be all about strict adherence to the law and severe punishment for those who break the law, which seems to cause most to live in fear along with the shame.
Allen Chun, one reviewer of the book, made the following profound statement about this transition from Chinese rule to British colonial rule. “While one cannot deny the tremendous transformations of colonial rule from its racist origins and brutal enforcement to its gradual incorporation of local Chinese into ‘indirect rule’, the legalization that paved the way for social restructuring and modernization of all kinds, and the glorious achievements brought about by capitalist progress that raised standards of living and reshaped Hong Kong’s future, many other ‘general’ aspects of this history still reek of hypocrisy.”[9] This hypocrisy leaves a bad taste in many people’s mouths even though some would like to overshadow this dark cloud with the economic growth and success the British brought to Hong Kong. This is especially ironic when the island of Hong Kong was initially dismissed by Palmerston, the Foreign Secretary for the British empire at the time, as “a barren island with hardly a house upon it”.[10] Overall, the book was helpful in understanding the details surrounding the occupation of Hong Kong by the British and how Hong Kong came to be the thriving metropolis it is today.
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[1] Steve Tsang, Modern History of Hong Kong, A: 1841-1997, (I.B.Tauris, Kindle Edition), Locations 209-212.
[9] Allen Chun, Book Review of Modern History of Hong Kong, A: 1841-1997, East Asia: An International Quarterly, March 1, 2006, 87.
[10] Steve Tsang, Modern History of Hong Kong, A: 1841-1997, (I.B.Tauris, Kindle Edition), Locations 483-486.
About the Author
Jake Dean-Hill
Currently a Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice. Ordained minister with 10 years of prior full-time church ministry experience and currently volunteering with a local church plant. Also working with companies as a Corporate Leadership Coach.13 responses to “Everything I didn’t know about how Hong Kong came to be”
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Great job Jake. There are so many facets that we need to reconsider when we attempt to do ministry in other cultures. Your points about shame in the asian culture was right on. I wonder what the general attitude towards women in leadership is in the asian culture.
Thanks Kyle. Yes shame is a sad state of existence for the Chinese people. Also my limited knowledge of the Chinese culture tells me women are often not treated as equals.
Great post, Jake. I especially appreciated your highlighting tea.
Isn’t it incredible to think of? When we think of British culture, we think of “tea time” and having a cuppa. But that tea came from China, and Ceylon, and Darjeeling.
Now it makes me think of “coffee time” and meeting one another “for coffee”. How much do we consider fair trade and how justly the product is traded?
Thanks Mark. Yes wasn’t that ironic about the tea, and you had a good point about our version of that with coffee. I doubt people think much about where most of the coffee comes from or what kind of trade arrangement is made. Good thoughts.
Jake,
Excellent naval history lesson on the early Chinese fleet and the Colonial claim to Hong Kong. I have a story about “high tea” and the long-lasting impact of Colonialism. For example, Botswana has only been independent from British control for 52 years. When JoAnne and I served there as missionaries, we were the minority and when we went to the villages we followed their cultural traditions. To our surprise, eating with the fork in the left hand, knife in right, and enjoying “high tea” was the practice, even out in the remote cattle post villages! So, all of that to say, I am sure the Hongkonger’s we will meet will still have some British traditions that just “fit” who they are today.
立场坚定
M. Webb
Thanks Mike. Great story about high tea in Botswana and great reminder of the fact that many places still practice the traditions they have been brought up practicing which have become their culture. I look forward to getting to know more of the Hong Kong culture.
Jake,
I found it very ironic that the British saw the Chinese as barbaric, but it was the British that continued the trade of an illicit drug to the detriment of the country. I wonder what Jackie Pullinger would have to say about that being British but being ingrained in the culture of Hong Kong?
Jason
Thanks Jason. I completely agree, the British did some immense damage to the Chinese culture all for the all-mighty dollar (or pound I guess). And I think Jackie would have a hard time with the fact that her home country caused such damage with the drug trade.
Hi Jake,
High tea! That is one practice I brought back with me from Cape Town. I hope we get to participate in Hong Kong, too.
Great words about the hypocrisy of the growth of Hong Kong. Oh, the compromises that greed makes. Unfortunately, we are no different in ‘Merica and we have also sold our souls in many ways in the name of the almighty dollar…
Thanks Jay. I agree, it is neat to see these countries carry on some of these traditions and I enjoy participating in these traditions as well. It also makes me sad how the greed of the Brits had such a damaging effect on the country of China, and how we have followed suit in our country.
Hi Jake,
Great blog highlighted some fascinating cultural variables in HK. As a therapist, can you imagine trying to use CBT in such a shame culture? The cognitions of failure and guilt must be tremendous and it wouldn’t be acceptable to try to deconstruct them. I would love to connect with a mental health therapist while we are there!
(I should have added work write off!?)
Jake, you touched on one of the topics I was provoked by as well, and that was how interesting it is that the negative influences of British rule could also seem to bring about so many positive things for China. However, I questioned in another post how their “hypocrisy” as you so calculatedly put it, may have damaged their ability to truly make any positive influences toward Christianity? I cannot help but believe that the actions to rule over someone, even though some good may come of it, can still leave a positive influence of God’s grace and love.