Final task

The fusion of British and Chinese cultures

The island was ceded to Britain after the first Opium War ended in August 1842. Throughout the 156 years of British rule, cultural ideas about fashion, architecture and customs were shared by Britain and Hong Kong, and many of these remain to this day. Although Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule when Britain’s 99 year lease expired in 1997, the island itself has retained cultural characteristics that reflect the legacy of its British past

British and Chinese influence in Hong Kong

English language is still widely spoken in Hong Kong, Chinese and English are two official languages of Hong Kong. Public announcement, news papers, Tv and Radio channels are in English.

A common visual reminder of British remnants in Hong Kong are the numerous streets that have been named after British public figures and landmarks. Many of these streets share the same name with those in London.

Just like the British, Hong Kong still drives on the left side of the road

Both cultures in Hong Kong

Hong Kong culture is a mixture of traditional Han Cantonese ethnic culture of southeastern China and British and Western culture in general. Hong Kongers are being increasingly influenced by the culture of the Mainland Chinese. Their culture is sophisticated and mixes Confucian and British ethics, and they are international savvy.

History of Hong Kong

The British have had the biggest foreign cultural influence on modern Hong Kongers. Hong Kong was a British colony from 1841 to 1997. The British government and other foreigners opened schools that taught mainly British Protestant ideals and philosophy and promoted the Christian religion and ideology.

In 1997, Hong Kong was transferred to China, and they became a Special Administered Region. It has been widely regarded as the world's most outstanding and well-run city in the world in the last fifteen years. The government is openly criticized and kept in toe by Hong Kong's vocal citizens and a media that is still fairly free to criticize the local government officials and their policy decisions and the police.

Today's Hong Kong

Since June 2019, Hong Kong has seen months of non-stop unrest which shows no sign of stopping. Protests began in June when millions came out to oppose a controversial bill that would have allowed extradition from Hong Kong to China. Many are now calling for greater democracy and an inquiry into allegations of policy brutality. As the protests have continued, they have grown more violent and disruptive, posing a challenge to the city's government and Beijing not seen since Hong Kong was handed over from British to Chinese rule in 1997. While Hong Kong remains safe on the whole, those inside the city still worry about where this all leads and if there is an end in sight.