Post Trip Term Paper

Lauren Fenimore
Hong Kong Trip
Drs. Eric Hung and Shunzhu Wang
Post Trip Paper


The underlying theme of our trip to Hong Kong was the paradox of the Hong Kong identity. In one of the articles that I read for my pre-trip paper, it stated that Hong Kong’s history was the history of colonialism. It described Hong Kong as a sort of “cultural desert” because before the British colonized it there wasn’t much in the way of civilization. When I first read this it seemed to make sense. How can culture develop in a place where there is no society present to develop it? If there are no people inhabiting the land then there can be no civilization, and therefore no culture.

It wasn’t until I was actually in Hong Kong and visited the Museum of History that I realized how short sighted this view of Hong Kong’s cultural history was. In the museum there is a permanent exhibit called “The Hong Kong Story”. The exhibit spans 2 floors and is made up of 8 galleries, with 4,000 smaller exhibits utilizing graphic panels, dioramas, multi-media programs and special audio-visual and lighting effects. It tells the story of Hong Kong, outlining the details of its natural environment, prehistoric era, and folk culture. It also traces the development of Hong Kong from a series of early fishing settlements to its return to China from British rule and its rise as a thriving, vibrant metropolis in the modern day.

I found everything in this exhibit to be fascinating and could have spent a whole day wandering slowly in and out of all the different display areas and auditoriums. Some of the most interesting displays were the ones that illustrated the history of the early people that inhabited Hong Kong. The information that was presented in this part of the exhibit seemed to contradict the statement that I read in the article, that labeled the pre-colonialism Hong Kong as a “cultural desert”. This paper will therefore be a summary of what was displayed in the galleries that presented a detailed look at the history of the early settlements of Hong Kong, up until the time that the British took possession.

The Dynasties: From the Han to the Qing

The first people to bring an advanced sense of culture and technology to Hong Kong were immigrants who had traveled down from North and Central China, after the mainland regions were unified under the Qin Empire. In the South the emperor Qinshihuang established the Nanhai, Xiang and Guilin Prefectures in the regions of Guangdong and Guangxi. As a result, Hong Kong fell under the control of the Panyu county of Nanhai. When the Qin Dynasty fell, Nanhai became an independent territory, renaming itself the Nanyue Kingdom, with Panyu becoming its capital. Relics from the Nayue Kingdom have been found scattered across the island of Lantau, providing evidence that Hong Kong was under the jurisdiction of Panyu from 222-330. Other relics found from the Western Han Dynasty have included decorative bronze wine casks, bronze bells and string, stone and pottery-made musical instruments used in rituals and ceremonies that the Yue had no doubt adopted from Han customs. Small clay houses were also excavated from tombs. These miniatures were modeled after actual houses of the period and in some cases had clay figures inside them, depicting scenes of people engaged in everyday activities such as pounding rice or carrying a baby. The artifacts provide an important glimpse into the life of the people of early Hong Kong, as well as their relationship to China as observed through the similarities in architectural style and cultural characteristics of the houses.

In 331 Hong Kong was reclassified into Bao’an County in Dongguan Prefecture. At this time North China was in the throes of heavy warfare, which persuaded people to travel south to escape the violence. This new group of immigrants brought knowledge of crafts and mechanics with them, evidence of which has been excavated from Jin Dynasty tombs in present-day Shenzhen and Guangzhou, as well as from Pak Mong on Lantau Island. It is also interesting to note that many Southern dynasty emperors of the time were devout Buddhists, suggesting that Buddhism was already the prominent religion of Hong Kong during this period.

The following dynasties of Sui and Tang saw Guangzhou become a prosperous port for international trade. Lime kilns found along the coast also attest to a significant salt industry in the region. In the Five Dynasties period, pearls were also harvested off the coast of Tai Po and troops were placed in the area to protect this valuable natural resource. During the Song Dynasty, the production and trading of salt was taken over and regulated by the government. Warfare continued to be a major problem in Central and North China and numerous clans continued moving south where things were relatively peaceful. Towards the end of the Song Dynasty, Mongolia invaded North China and two boy emperors had to seek refuge in Hong Kong.

When the Song Dynasty fell, the Ming Dynasty brought even more growth to Hong Kong. A large number of clans with diverse origins continued to make their way to Hong Kong, while those who had settled there previously began to expand their families. The county of Xin’an was created in 1573 and Hong Kong fell under its jurisdiction. 74 villages were on record as having existed in the county and in addition to salt production and pearl diving, settlers also made a living by fishing, farming and planting trees used to make incense. The craft of pottery making was becoming a big industry and the kiln at Wun Yiu in Tai Po made numerous wares for both the domestic and international markets. Late in the period military posts were even set up to guard against pirates who hoped to rob ships along the Maritime Silk Route.

In the Qing Dynasty settlers in Hong Kong were uprooted when the courts ordered all those living along the coast to move inland. This abandonment, although it left Hong Kong a barren landscape, only lasted for 8 years and when the ban was lifted several of the clans eventually returned to continue expanding their settlements.

Ethnic Groups of Hong Kong

Before the British annexed Hong Kong there were four main Chinese ethnic groups living in the area. The Punti (“local people”) arrived in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). They settled on the fertile plans and took to farming, landlording and running small businesses. The main element of every Punti walled village is the ancestral hall. This hall is used in ceremonies where the Punti worship their ancestors and celebrate major festivals. During these festivals Cantonese operas are performed and sumptuous banquets are prepared. In modern times many descendents of the Punti clan still live in the walled villages that once protected their ancestors from bandits.

The Hakka (“guest people”) came from north of the Yellow River and arrived much later than the Punti, settling in Hong Kong from 1648 onwards. Unfortunately for the Hakka, the Punti had already occupied the most fertile land in the region, so they would have to make do with the more remote and infertile hillsides. The Hakka had long been a farming people, but when they could not farm they made mud bricks, tailored and dyed clothing and worked on handicrafts. Hakka people were often identified by their shanfu, or a pajama-like work shirt and trouser outfit, which was dyed in black and blue. These simple garments must have been valued for their ingenious practicality and indeed some styles are still being worn today. One example of this is the liangmao, or “cool hat”. While touring around Hong Kong I saw several instances of women garden workers wearing a type of liangmao. The most striking was a pair of women who were pulling weeds in the Wetland Park. Perched on their heads were what looked like large round disks with material draped over the brim to form a hood all the way around their heads. Traditionally, these were flat circles of woven bamboo, surrounded by a blue or black cotton fringe with a hole in the center. Tassles and hand woven bands were also a part of the traditional custom, though I’m not sure if they were worn by the women that I saw in the park. The hat is designed to keep the sun off your face and neck and as protection against insects as well. The Hakko were also known to cook simple, earthy food, but the pastries they made for festivals were sweet and very rich in flavor.

The Boat Dwellers were a sea-faring people who settled on the coast where they could fish in the Pearl River Delta and along the coast of Guangdong and Guangxi. Legend tells that their ancestors belonged to important clans in Central China, who had fled to the sea to escape war and persecution. They spent almost their entire lives on the water, not only fishing but pearl diving, oyster farming, and ferrying passengers and goods. By choice it seems they isolated themselves from the land-based people. When they did go ashore it was only to tend to boat repairs, shop for supplies, sell their catches or grab a meal in a restaurant. As a rule they tried not to get involved with dealings that would get them into trouble with people on land.

The Hoklo too were a fishing people, having come from other coastal regions such as Huizhou, Haifeng and Lufeng in the province of Guangdong. They are distinct from the other ethnic groups in their language, customs and dress. The women are very fastidious about their hair accessories and the way they wear their hair, pinned up in buns. The traditional dress is comprised of a brightly colored blouse, loosely fit with a side fastening, long narrow sleeves and no pockets. The distinctiveness of their clothing style can also be seen in children’s clothing and baby carriers, which are often embellished with shiny trinkets, colorful beads and floral trim. When the Hoklo were primarily a fishing people and lived on boats, wedding ceremonies would include the bride being ferried over to the groom’s home on a dragon boat, rowed by the married female relatives of the groom’s family. Aspects of this tradition remain intact today, but because the Hoklo have now settled on land, the women perform a dragon boat dance where they pretend to row the boat.


Conclusions

After visiting the Hong Kong Museum of History and studying the history and ethnography of Hong Kong in pre-colonial times, I would disagree with the notion that Hong Kong was a “cultural desert”. Not only were there different ethnic groups constantly moving into and across the landscape of Hong Kong; but I’ve learned that fashion, food, music and art: the stables of modern day culture were very much a part of life for the early peoples of Hong Kong.

Bibliography

The Hong Kong Museum of History
Permanent Exhibits: The Hong Kong Story
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/History/download/the_hk_story_exhibition_materials_e.pdf