7.5 Epilogue

Being part of Southern China, Hong Kong has an ecological environment similar to that of the region. In historical times, its social and economic developments were in step with Southern China and in particular the Pearl River Estuary.

For long they were part of the same administrative system and shared common traditions and folk culture.

The ceding of Hong Kong to Britain was a historic watershed. For more than a century, Hong Kong's developments had their own direction and pace. The relatively stable environment attracted waves of people from the mainland.

Given the combination of this environment and personal motivations, these settlers gave their all to make Hong Kong the international metropolis that it is today.

With its reunification with China on 1 July 1997, Hong Kong turned a new page.

"The Hong Kong Story" draws to a close with that event, but the Hong Kong story will continue to be written.

Credit : History Museum of HK.