Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
TIMELINE
4000-1500 BC
Small groups of neolithic hunter-gatherers and fisherfolk settle in coastal areas; a
handful of tools, pottery and other artefacts are the only remnants left by these
nomads.
214 BC
Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang conquers present-day Guǎngxī, Guǎngdōng and Fújiàn
after a long period of war. Hong Kong comes under greater cultural influence from the
north.
AD 1000-1400
Hong Kong's Five Clans -Tang, Hau, Pang, Liu and Man - settle in what is now the New
Territories and build walled villages in the fertile plains and valleys.
1557
Portuguese navigators set up a base in Macau, and are followed by Dutch and then
French traders. Regular trade begins between China and Europe.
1644
The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) is overthrown by the Qing dynasty, which reigns until
1911.
1683
British East India Company ships begin to arrive, and by 1711 the company has estab-
lished offices and warehouses in Guǎngzhōu, to trade for tea, silk and porcelain.
1757
An imperial edict restricts European trade to the cohong(local merchants guild) in
Guǎngzhōu; growing discontent with the trading system sets the stage for the First
Opium War.
1773
