Prehistoric and Imperial China period Human settlement of the area dates back 6,000 years ago, as evidenced by
Neolithic artifacts discovered in
Stanley, Hong Kong Island. In 214 BC, the
Qin dynasty defeated the
Baiyue, and absorbed areas of what is now
Guangdong,
Guangxi, and northern
Vietnam. Hong Kong Island was part of the annexed land and was listed under the jurisdiction of Panyu County () of the
Nanhai Commandery (). On the sixth year of the
Eastern Jin dynasty (AD 331), Hong Kong Island was listed under the jurisdiction of
Baoan County (. Copper coins from the
Sui,
Tang and
Song dynasty were unearthed in where the
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club is presently located at, on where
Kellett Island would have been prior to the
land reclamation connecting the island to
Causeway Bay in 1969. This suggests that during these periods of times, the island already had its own commercial activity. Song dynasty copper coins served as universal currency in transregional trade. During the
Wanli period of the
Ming dynasty (1573), Hong Kong Island belonged to the territory of
Xin'an County, and remained so until 1661, when the
great clearance was issued by the
Shunzhi Emperor of the
Qing dynasty, forcing residents in coastal areas of
Guangdong,
Fujian,
Zhejiang,
Jiangnan, and
Shandong to move in-land, to prevent the loyalists of the
Ming dynasty in
Formosa from approaching the shores of the Mainland and seek help from residents of the coastal areas. Piracy was rampant in the area until the island was ceded to the
United Kingdom in 1842.
British colony Following the
First Opium War (1839–1842), Hong Kong Island was ceded to Great Britain in 1842 under the
Treaty of Nanking and the territory became a
Crown colony. At the time, the island's population was only 7,450.
Japanese invasion and occupation The
Second World War was a dark period for Hong Kong. In the 1930s, the British anticipated a Japanese attack on Hong Kong. As the
Wong Nai Chung Gap was a strategically important location of defence, large-scale defensive works were constructed there, including
anti-aircraft batteries,
howitzer positions and
machine gun nests. The
Battle of Hong Kong began on 8 December 1941.
British,
Canadian and
Indian armies and the
Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Forces resisted the Japanese invasion commanded by
Sakai Takashi, which began eight hours after the
attack on Pearl Harbor. However, the Japanese took control of the Hong Kong skies on the first day of attack and outnumbered the defenders, which retreated from the
Gin Drinkers Line and consequently from
Kowloon under heavy aerial bombardment and artillery barrage. On 18 December, the Japanese had conquered
North Point, reaching the
Wong Nai Chung Gap on the following day. British forces and the
Canadian Winnipeg Grenadiers vigorously defended the crucial point of Wong Nai Chung Gap, and for a while successfully secured the passage between Central and the secluded southern parts of the island. Japanese casualties were about 600. However, Allied forces there were ultimately defeated by the Japanese on 23 December, and
Wong Nai Chung Reservoir was lost. As
Wan Chai Gap had also fallen that same day, the British surrendered. Hong Kong surrendered to the Japanese on 25 December 1941, thereafter often called "
Black Christmas" by locals as the surrender was on Christmas. The
Governor of Hong Kong,
Mark Young, surrendered in-person at the temporary Japanese headquarters, on the third floor of the
Peninsula Hotel, thus beginning the
Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.
Isogai Rensuke became the first Japanese governor of Hong Kong.
Hyper-inflation and
food rationing followed; and the Japanese declared
Hong Kong Dollars illegal. The Japanese enforced a
repatriation policy throughout the period of occupation due to the scarcity of food and the possible counter-attack of the Allies. As a result, the unemployed were deported to the
Mainland, and the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945.
Post Second World War The population of Hong Kong Island grew exponentially after the
Second World War and the
Communist revolution in China. It became apparent that the lands in the old Central District were insufficient to accommodate the population. Many undeveloped or underdeveloped areas Hong Kong Island such as
North Point,
Shau Kei Wan,
Aberdeen and
Wong Chuk Hang began its development and urbanisation. These areas initially started off as industrialised areas, with some areas such as
Quarry Bay,
Wan Chai and
Causeway Bay later becoming new commercial centres when Hong Kong moved away from its
period of industrialisation, as these areas provided relatively cheaper rent than the traditional commercial district of Central. On 1 July 1997, the sovereignty of Hong Kong Island was
transferred to the People's Republic of China alongside
Kowloon Peninsula and the
New Territories, ending 156 years of British rule on Hong Kong Island. == Administration, suburbs and localities ==