The fisherman (a group of people known as the Tanka) lived along the water with large houseboats and smaller fishing vessels. These communities dotted the area around the modern day city, but the city for these early inhabitants looked nothing like it does today. In a way, the story of Hong Kong is tied to the period of colonial rule.
As a bustling port city, Hong Kong attracted a number of people from other parts of Southern China to live there. There was also a lot of unrest in China following the end of the Qing Dynasty. The violence and instability forced many people to look for better opportunities in the colony. This immigration from Mainland China led to the development of a culture that mixed British customs with Chinese culture.
Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997. Under the agreement between the Chinese government and Britain, the city would become part of China but would operate as a semi-independent city. Hong Kong under these terms kept many of the old British systems of governing and many rights are guaranteed by the city's laws versus the central government on mainland China.
Today names like Kennedy Town, Queen's Road, and Victoria Park stand out compared to the rest of China and are reminders of this colonial past.
