The Influence Of Hong Kong Identity

Hong Kong is a unique metropolitan in the respect that it is shaped by three major influences: Chinese, European and modernism. Its entanglement with these influences has played a major role in cultivating its identity, a quality both complex and rich that it becomes difficult to characterize. However, it is clear that its resiliency has helped Hong Kong become the world city that it is today. Over many years, Hong Kong has made many strides in defining its identity, as evidence of this can be seen from the city’s architecture. A city in constant flux, Hong Kong has seen many of its buildings come and go. However, the designs of these structures have always accurately represented the Hong Kong identity, making Hong Kong a paradigmatic example

Following the First Opium War in 1942, China was forced to cede Hong Kong to the United Kingdom. This takeover is generally regarded as the beginning of Hong Kong’s modern history since Britain became the primary sphere of influence in Hong Kong and brought about industrialization and modernization in the region. The British instituted a western government, education system, and a free port economy that contrasted with the customs of the rest of China. It was this type of political separation that allowed Hong Kong to truly develop its own identity during a period when China was enforcing its closed-door policy from the rest of the world. Hong Kong’s insulation from the rest of China attracted many Chinese to the region “as word spread of the fortunes being made by merchants who had established trading houses for the booming trade in silk, tea, spices, and opium” that were established by the British (Frommer’s). The policy of a free economic zone that did not enforce duty taxes allowed Hong Kong to quickly become a center for international business and trade, reinforcing its newly structured capitalist

Thus, the cultural and industrial revolution Hong Kong experienced is evident in Hong Kong’s architecture. Newly constructed administrative buildings that were used for the governance of Hong Kong featured neoclassical styles, particularly Victorian and Edwardian, during its colonial period. However, these were not merely reproductions of Europe’s past. One such example was the Central Police Station Compound, which was unique in that it was constructed with new additions installed over time. The earliest buildings constructed - the Barrack Block and the officers’ quarters - had a neoclassical design with a floor layout in the Golden Ratio. Some of its other features include red brick laid in English Bond and original locks imported from Britain. However, perhaps the most interesting aspects of the buildings were the implementation of Chinese tiles in the roofing, as well as verandas and balconies to adapt the building to the regional climate. The other additions of the compound also exhibited similar features. According to the Conservation Management Plan of the compound from the Commissioner of Heritage