Metropolasia > Hong Kong > History in brief

History in brief

Thanks to its excellent location around a naturally protected harbor near the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong was already inhabited in ancient times. But, nevertheless, it did not develop into a significant city until the British colonised it. As a matter of fact, most of the early settlements were nothing more than a few scattered villages that made their living from fishing, salt production and pearl diving.

	Prehistoric Hong Kong and Early civilizations
	Arrival of the Europeans
	Early trade with Britain
	The opium wars
	British colonialism
	Hong Kong during World War II
	Post war years in Hong Kong
	Handover to China