Hong Kong is a word that can be loosely translated to “Fragrant Harbor” in Chinese. It is a region in China that is made up of three islands. These are The Stonecutter Island, Kowloon Peninsula and New territories which were part of a British colony in the nineteenth century. Sometime in the year 1997, it was handed back to The Republic of China. Under the British colony, it was referred to as The British Crown. The language that was spoken in the historical Hong Kong is known as Cantonese which does not have a standardized roman system. During the British rule, Hong Kong was governed by governors and civil servants. The population in it was and still is made up of slightly over ninety percent Chinese people though it can now be considered to be a global cosmopolitan region. It is a densely populated region considered as one of the most densely populated areas in the world. In relation to religion, Hong Kong has a multicultural population from different races. These are Chinese, Jews and Hindus. They all have different beliefs which can be summed up in the following religions and philosophies; Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. The last three being observed mainly by the Chinese populace. Confucianism is recognized as one of the major pillars of Chinese culture. (Carroll, 2007).
Hong Kong has two predominant heritages. These are the Chinese heritage and the British heritage. They both have a very huge influence on the people of Hong Kong. The Chinese heritage has and will always be the one with more influence though as it was originally the one that was found ¬
in the region before the British took over the colony in the period between 1941 and 1942. The blend of cultures can be seen in various aspects of their cultures; in the building architecture, the monuments built in honor of some of the religious leaders the people of Hong Kong view as important, the museums and their art handicrafts. The architecture is hugely influenced by the size of the islands and the space available. Being a small area, the Chinese and British architecture have blended to bring up a unique Hong Kong architecture. The Chinese architecture consisted of buildings that are up to four storeys. The ground floors were meant for shops. The other floors were used for housing. They were called the Tong Lau. On the other hand, the British architecture seemed to maximize on the lack of space to come up with buildings that had more storey than the ones in the Chinese culture. They could go up to the fifth and sixth floors. Currently, it is hard to find some of the buildings now that modernized buildings have been put up. Monuments have been put up in honor of leaders from both the Chinese and the British civilizations. This is due to the long rule of over a century by the British. Most of these can be found in the museums. Some of the Chinese monuments are Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb, Law Uk Hakka House, Old Wan Chai Post Office and The Tin Hau Temple among others. The art and craft of the people of Hong Kong reflect the creativity of the Chinese Hong Kong people. There are stores that stock most of the artifacts that can be bought at some price. (Fu and Desser, 2000).
¬
The effects of the blended heritage in Hong Kong is that the tourism industry has been boosted by the distinctive nature of Hong Kong’s architecture, its entertainment industry and the mixed heritage families that can be found within. Therefore, the revenue earned is high due to the influx of tourism activities. The blending of Chinese culture has brought about the effect of change in that whereas in the earlier times, the Chinese culture could “swallow” other cultures and localize them, it is now common for the foreign cultures to be tolerated alongside the local ones. The Victorian architecture used by the British later helped in the economy of space therefore creation of more housing for the residents. The interaction of native Hong Kong and people from other nationalities has lead to the coming up of mixed-race families referred to as mixed-heritage families. Much more American interest has been drawn as it is one of the areas where Hollywood has invested on in the production of movies and television programs.
The examples of Eastern cultures found in Hong Kong are; the Tiantan Buddha on the island of Lantau which is the largest bronze Buddha in the whole world, the indigenous people believe in holding marriage ceremonies during auspicious days so that the couple lives a long happy life, the Hong Kong Disneyland opened in the year 2005 being the fifth “magic kingdom”-style park in Chinese Hong Kong. Hong Kong also experiences several and diverse cultural activities from different parts of the world including Chinese mainland. The western classical music has an unexpected and ¬
surprisingly huge fan base in Hong Kong. The city life and the countryside lifestyles differ a little bit. The Hong Kong city can be described as the city of life and lights. (Carter, 2006).
The activities that go on in the typical Hong Kong city can be summarized in the words; a white tourist walking around enjoying the feel of New York or London in the Asian country alongside an African and a fierce Cantonese trader hawking his wares to the equally feisty Sheiks who will later sell the goods to the urban population at a higher price. That is Hong Kong at a flash. This depicts a city that enjoys cosmopolitanism at its best. The wide array of people from the world who visit the city attests to this. It is home to most of the millionaires in the whole Asian continent. (Carter, 2006). The dressing styles in the city that houses banking executives, successful salesmen and other workers who are majorly white collar job holders speaks volumes of the western influence as most of the time you are likely to find the men in neat black suits with bowties and the women in short skirts. The countryside, on the other hand, is a deep contrast to the city. The lifestyle is a bit not as hurried as the one in the city. The pace of activities is a little slowed down there. It takes almost three quarters of the Chinese land. This does not however indicate much on the total population within the boundaries of Hong Kong. It has a very low population compared to The Hong Kong city. The comparatively silent environment is dotted with agricultural activities. From the fishermen, some of whom claim to never have stepped on the mainland to the oxen used to plough on ¬
the farmland and the vegetable gardens. All this a sign that the people of Hong Kong countryside engage in farming as a mainstay alongside fishing from the seas for their source of livelihood compared to the people in the city who work mainly in the areas that incline heavily on the clerical work done in offices.
The people of Hong Kong can be said to have identity “consciousness”. In the run-up to the surrendering of the Hong Kong by the British to the People’s Republic of China, many indigenous people migrated to other parts of the world especially the western world as they had a problem with the way it was governed. After the handover in the year 1997, most of the trooped back to Hong Kong under China. The Hong Kong people seem to harbor the thought that they are superior to their China Mainland counter parts. They have joined the bigger Chinese family but would like to maintain their identity as first Hong Kong people and then Chinese. (Tweety, 2007).
The emergence of Hong Kong identity also has a huge influence from the rapid economic growth during the period edging towards the turn of the century. There is also a bearing on the identity tied to education which was introduced to curb Chinese nationalism, Chinese communist tendencies and other political activities that were deemed to be unfriendly during the cold war. All in all, the Hong Kong people have a major financial influence as they are more financially endowed than their China Mainland and the other Chinese people from the many islands. This is a major factor ¬
that influences them to want to retain their Hong Kong identity.
The westernization and modernization concepts introduced by the coming of the British in the nineteenth century have by and largely affected the culture of the peoples of Hong Kong. Westernization is the assimilation of western cultures into a particular society while modernization is the process through which a society moves from a lower status of livelihood to one that is considered to be more progressed. The effects are seen majorly in the Hong Kong city way of life. The “westernization” in the city has influenced the dressing, entertainment cultures, the education and the architectural designs of building. This is quite a huge influence because it has affected most aspects of life of the people of Hong Kong. While that is true, it is prudent that we observe that the other culture like ways of worship have not been altered much. The original religions are still the ones at play. The architectural designs of buildings have not been totally wiped out. There are still monuments that stand to remind the people of Hong Kong their rich architectural culture. Therefore, the authenticity of the culture is not lost altogether as the reminders of their history is well preserved in museums and monuments. Westernizing fast has as such not wiped out the authenticity of its culture as the uniqueness s still quite preserved. The countryside can also be proof that the westernization has not taken root all over Hong Kong after all. The people still ¬
practice the cultures of their forefathers such as farming, fishing and poultry farming. (Carter, 2006).
In conclusion, the rapid growth of Hong Kong in the nineteenth and twentieth century can be credited to the capture of the islands by the British colonialists. They came in with a new set of cultures which might have aided in the changing of the economy of this region. The introduction of education that liberated the people to a point of being able to accept foreign culture also made the natives more adoptable to new ideologies even if western. These benefits trickled faster to help the people benefit more as aspects like the British architecture helped to use land more exhaustingly for maximum development. The mixing of cultures has also brought about a distinctive culture that is a tourist attraction. In my opinion, the westernization couldn’t have come in at a better time. This can be seen to be too much as some aspects of American culture are also seen in the Hong Kong Disneyland. Much of the ancient oriental culture might have been “wiped” but not totally wiped out. There is still a preserve of it in the museums and religion. Therefore, the westernization and modernization might have come and altered the lives of the people of Hong Kong, but they have a lot that is stored and can be easily accessed. The cosmopolitan nature of the city might have also served to partly introduce changes that will be there for a long time to come but will not necessarily threaten the existing cultures. It is therefore good to take note that the westernization and ¬
modernization witnessed has more advantages than disadvantages. (Carter, 2006).
Hong Kong has two predominant heritages. These are the Chinese heritage and the British heritage. They both have a very huge influence on the people of Hong Kong. The Chinese heritage has and will always be the one with more influence though as it was originally the one that was found ¬
in the region before the British took over the colony in the period between 1941 and 1942. The blend of cultures can be seen in various aspects of their cultures; in the building architecture, the monuments built in honor of some of the religious leaders the people of Hong Kong view as important, the museums and their art handicrafts. The architecture is hugely influenced by the size of the islands and the space available. Being a small area, the Chinese and British architecture have blended to bring up a unique Hong Kong architecture. The Chinese architecture consisted of buildings that are up to four storeys. The ground floors were meant for shops. The other floors were used for housing. They were called the Tong Lau. On the other hand, the British architecture seemed to maximize on the lack of space to come up with buildings that had more storey than the ones in the Chinese culture. They could go up to the fifth and sixth floors. Currently, it is hard to find some of the buildings now that modernized buildings have been put up. Monuments have been put up in honor of leaders from both the Chinese and the British civilizations. This is due to the long rule of over a century by the British. Most of these can be found in the museums. Some of the Chinese monuments are Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb, Law Uk Hakka House, Old Wan Chai Post Office and The Tin Hau Temple among others. The art and craft of the people of Hong Kong reflect the creativity of the Chinese Hong Kong people. There are stores that stock most of the artifacts that can be bought at some price. (Fu and Desser, 2000).
¬
The effects of the blended heritage in Hong Kong is that the tourism industry has been boosted by the distinctive nature of Hong Kong’s architecture, its entertainment industry and the mixed heritage families that can be found within. Therefore, the revenue earned is high due to the influx of tourism activities. The blending of Chinese culture has brought about the effect of change in that whereas in the earlier times, the Chinese culture could “swallow” other cultures and localize them, it is now common for the foreign cultures to be tolerated alongside the local ones. The Victorian architecture used by the British later helped in the economy of space therefore creation of more housing for the residents. The interaction of native Hong Kong and people from other nationalities has lead to the coming up of mixed-race families referred to as mixed-heritage families. Much more American interest has been drawn as it is one of the areas where Hollywood has invested on in the production of movies and television programs.
The examples of Eastern cultures found in Hong Kong are; the Tiantan Buddha on the island of Lantau which is the largest bronze Buddha in the whole world, the indigenous people believe in holding marriage ceremonies during auspicious days so that the couple lives a long happy life, the Hong Kong Disneyland opened in the year 2005 being the fifth “magic kingdom”-style park in Chinese Hong Kong. Hong Kong also experiences several and diverse cultural activities from different parts of the world including Chinese mainland. The western classical music has an unexpected and ¬
surprisingly huge fan base in Hong Kong. The city life and the countryside lifestyles differ a little bit. The Hong Kong city can be described as the city of life and lights. (Carter, 2006).
The activities that go on in the typical Hong Kong city can be summarized in the words; a white tourist walking around enjoying the feel of New York or London in the Asian country alongside an African and a fierce Cantonese trader hawking his wares to the equally feisty Sheiks who will later sell the goods to the urban population at a higher price. That is Hong Kong at a flash. This depicts a city that enjoys cosmopolitanism at its best. The wide array of people from the world who visit the city attests to this. It is home to most of the millionaires in the whole Asian continent. (Carter, 2006). The dressing styles in the city that houses banking executives, successful salesmen and other workers who are majorly white collar job holders speaks volumes of the western influence as most of the time you are likely to find the men in neat black suits with bowties and the women in short skirts. The countryside, on the other hand, is a deep contrast to the city. The lifestyle is a bit not as hurried as the one in the city. The pace of activities is a little slowed down there. It takes almost three quarters of the Chinese land. This does not however indicate much on the total population within the boundaries of Hong Kong. It has a very low population compared to The Hong Kong city. The comparatively silent environment is dotted with agricultural activities. From the fishermen, some of whom claim to never have stepped on the mainland to the oxen used to plough on ¬
the farmland and the vegetable gardens. All this a sign that the people of Hong Kong countryside engage in farming as a mainstay alongside fishing from the seas for their source of livelihood compared to the people in the city who work mainly in the areas that incline heavily on the clerical work done in offices.
The people of Hong Kong can be said to have identity “consciousness”. In the run-up to the surrendering of the Hong Kong by the British to the People’s Republic of China, many indigenous people migrated to other parts of the world especially the western world as they had a problem with the way it was governed. After the handover in the year 1997, most of the trooped back to Hong Kong under China. The Hong Kong people seem to harbor the thought that they are superior to their China Mainland counter parts. They have joined the bigger Chinese family but would like to maintain their identity as first Hong Kong people and then Chinese. (Tweety, 2007).
The emergence of Hong Kong identity also has a huge influence from the rapid economic growth during the period edging towards the turn of the century. There is also a bearing on the identity tied to education which was introduced to curb Chinese nationalism, Chinese communist tendencies and other political activities that were deemed to be unfriendly during the cold war. All in all, the Hong Kong people have a major financial influence as they are more financially endowed than their China Mainland and the other Chinese people from the many islands. This is a major factor ¬
that influences them to want to retain their Hong Kong identity.
The westernization and modernization concepts introduced by the coming of the British in the nineteenth century have by and largely affected the culture of the peoples of Hong Kong. Westernization is the assimilation of western cultures into a particular society while modernization is the process through which a society moves from a lower status of livelihood to one that is considered to be more progressed. The effects are seen majorly in the Hong Kong city way of life. The “westernization” in the city has influenced the dressing, entertainment cultures, the education and the architectural designs of building. This is quite a huge influence because it has affected most aspects of life of the people of Hong Kong. While that is true, it is prudent that we observe that the other culture like ways of worship have not been altered much. The original religions are still the ones at play. The architectural designs of buildings have not been totally wiped out. There are still monuments that stand to remind the people of Hong Kong their rich architectural culture. Therefore, the authenticity of the culture is not lost altogether as the reminders of their history is well preserved in museums and monuments. Westernizing fast has as such not wiped out the authenticity of its culture as the uniqueness s still quite preserved. The countryside can also be proof that the westernization has not taken root all over Hong Kong after all. The people still ¬
practice the cultures of their forefathers such as farming, fishing and poultry farming. (Carter, 2006).
In conclusion, the rapid growth of Hong Kong in the nineteenth and twentieth century can be credited to the capture of the islands by the British colonialists. They came in with a new set of cultures which might have aided in the changing of the economy of this region. The introduction of education that liberated the people to a point of being able to accept foreign culture also made the natives more adoptable to new ideologies even if western. These benefits trickled faster to help the people benefit more as aspects like the British architecture helped to use land more exhaustingly for maximum development. The mixing of cultures has also brought about a distinctive culture that is a tourist attraction. In my opinion, the westernization couldn’t have come in at a better time. This can be seen to be too much as some aspects of American culture are also seen in the Hong Kong Disneyland. Much of the ancient oriental culture might have been “wiped” but not totally wiped out. There is still a preserve of it in the museums and religion. Therefore, the westernization and modernization might have come and altered the lives of the people of Hong Kong, but they have a lot that is stored and can be easily accessed. The cosmopolitan nature of the city might have also served to partly introduce changes that will be there for a long time to come but will not necessarily threaten the existing cultures. It is therefore good to take note that the westernization and ¬
modernization witnessed has more advantages than disadvantages. (Carter, 2006).
