香港的傳奇由19世紀的鴉片戰爭開始。中國的閉關政策與朝貢制度令兩國發生外交衝突和貿易失衡，加上清政府在1839年強硬禁絕鴉片貿易，觸動英方的外交底線和英商利益，引發鴉片戰爭。到1841年1月，戰況有利英方之時，兩廣總督琦善私下與英方的查理．義律擬訂穿鼻條約，割讓香港（最終戰爭繼續，割讓一事終由南京條約所訂明）。1月26日，伯麥准將帶領主力部隊登陸水坑口，他以維多利亞女皇之名命名這片土地，是為香港開埠。

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The epic story of Hong Kong (HK) began with the Opium War in the 19th century. China's closed-door policy and tributary system led to diplomatic conflicts and trade imbalances. In addition, the Qing Government's heavy-handed approach to banning the opium trade in 1839 crossed the British diplomatic bottom line. It infringed on the interests of British businessmen, triggering the Opium War. By January 1841, Britain had the upper hand. Without seeking approval from the imperial court, Qishan, the Viceroy of Two Liangguang, agreed to the Convention of Chuanbi in January 1840 (later replaced by the Treaty of Nanking) with British Captain Charles Elliot and ceded Hong Kong. On January 26, Commodore James John Gordon Bremer led the main force to land on Possession Point (nowadays Sheung Wan), and he named the surrounding area after Queen Victoria, marking the founding of Hong Kong.

 

1841 卑路乍上校繪製的香港全圖 2010年代復刻版 

Hong Kong, surveyed by Captain Sir Edward Belcher. Reproduction in 2010s

1月24日，伯麥准將（或稱寶馬）聯同軍艦硫磺號的卑路乍上校來到大嶼山附近水域，對香港及周邊海域作水文測量，並擬備首批大型香港地圖。這三個名字亦從此成為香港的地名：寶馬山、卑路乍灣/街、硫磺海峽。圖中可見只有香港島和緊鄰島嶼被割讓，不包括南丫島和維港以北。 

On January 24, Commodore James John Gordon Bremer and Captain Edward Belcher of the survey ship HMS Sulphur arrived at the waters off Lantau Island to conduct a hydrographic survey of HK and the surrounding waters , with the aim of preparing the first batch of large-scale maps for HK . These three names have since got on the maps: Braemar Hill, Belcher Bay/Street, and Sulphur Channel. The maps clearly show that only Hong Kong Island and the immediately adjacent islands were ceded to Britain. For example, Lamma Island to the southwest and areas north of the harbour were not part of the territory transferred. 

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1845 1845-11-8《倫敦新聞畫報》的維多利亞城插圖複本

Reprint of an Illustration of the City of Victoria, The Illustrated London News, 8-11-1845

插圖畫了初建成的域多利軍營，而首代郵政總局則位於中半山（右上的大樓）， 總的來說市面仍相當荒涼，巴麥尊勳爵早幾年說香港是「一個幾乎連房屋都沒有的荒島」，也非毫無道理。

This painting depicts the coastal landscape of the City of Victoria. The 1st generation of Hong Kong General Post Office was on the mid-level (top right building), and the city was overall quite desolate. Upon hearing the cession, Lord Palmerston commented that Hong Kong was "a barren rock with nary a house upon it...” Judging by the illustration, his comment wasn't unjustified. 

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1857 1857-3-28《倫敦新聞畫報》裕成辦館毒麵包案插圖複本 

Reprint of Illustrations on the Esing Bakery Poisoning Case, The Illustrated London News, 28-3-1857

（上）裕成辦館 

（下）中央警署差役正為一名被捕華人錄口供，旁觀者華洋皆有

(Top) The Esing Bakery

(Bottom) The Central Police Station Officers are seen taking a statement from a Chinese Man, with both Chinese and Western onlookers present. 

1857年1月15日，第二次鴉片戰爭期間，裕成辦館製造的麵包內發現砷，導致數百名歐洲居民中毒。老闆張亞霖被指策劃此次下毒，即使陪審團決定其無罪，他後來仍被流放。有人謂這是清政府策劃的戰爭罪行、商業破壞、或純粹意外，此事件的真正責任和意圖至今仍然存在爭議。

長久以來殖民地中華人與洋人在共存之下對立不斷，事件加劇兩者之間的緊張關係，政府後來持續對華人十分猜疑和忽視：1857年起針對華人的宵禁令到1897年才取消，在20世紀初法例又限定山頂及長洲部分地方僅讓非華人居住；公共交通工具又分等級讓不同種族乘坐，社會的種族分隔直到二戰後才消失。

On January 15, 1875 , during the Second Opium War, several hundred European residents were non-lethally poisoned by arsenic found in bread produced by a Chinese-owned store, the Esing Bakery. The proprietor, Cheong Ah-lum, was accused of plotting the poisoning but was acquitted in a trial by jury. Cheong was later banished from the colony. The true intention behind the incident —whether it was an act of commercial sabotage , a war crime orchestrated by the Qing government, or purely accidental—remains a subject of debate.

The Chinese and Westerners in the colony had a history of coexistence marked by frequent confrontations . This incident exacerbated the tension between them. The government’s attitude towards the Chinese population remained one of suspicion and neglect. For instance, the curfew imposed only on Chinese in 1857 was not lifted until 1897. In the early 20th century, laws restricted parts of Victoria Peak (The Peak) and Cheung Chau for non-Chinese to live only; public transportation was segregated based on ticket classes for different races. The segregation of society persisted until after World War II.

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1868 新安縣全圖1997年復刻版

Map of the Sun On District. Reproduction in 1997

香港開埠後九龍半島是罪案溫床。為了完全控制維港，解決九龍之威脅，同時擴充殖民版圖，英國認為必須取得九龍。隨着第二次鴉片戰爭爆發，1860年3月18日英軍登陸尖沙咀；3月20日，在英法聯軍控制下的廣州，兩廣總督勞崇光簽署了租約；英國租用界線以南的半島及昂船洲，後來在《北京條約》租借地轉為割讓。當時在九龍上清朝與香港的邊界只用矮矮的鐵絲網分割，被英方稱為「界限線」，即今天的界限街，現在街道兩旁除了地契不同，南北的物業分別需要繳交數額非常不同的地稅和地租外，已沒有分別。

After the founding of Hong Kong, the Kowloon Peninsula, located across Victoria Harbour became a hotbed of crime. The British believed occupying Kowloon was necessary for controlling the harbour, eliminating the threat from Kowloon, and expanding the empire. During the Second Opium War, on March 18, 1860, British troops landed on Tsim Sha Tsui (the southern tip of the Peninsula). On March 20, at Canton (under the control of the Anglo-French forces), the Governor-General of Liangguang, Lao Chongguang, signed a lease agreement. The British leased the southern portion of the Peninsula and Stonecutters Island, which were later ceded to Britain in the Convention of Peking.

The land border was only separated by a low barbed wire fence and referred to as the "boundary line" by the British, now known as Boundary Street. There is no remarkable difference between the two sides of the street now, except that the terms of their land leases are different, and properties in the north and south need to pay Government Rent and Land Tax, respectively, where the amounts payable could be vastly different.

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1882 維多利亞城平面圖1997年復刻版

Plan of the City of Victoria. Reproduction in 1997

香港的表面繁華掩蓋不了恐怖的衛生情況。在軍部直接向英國投訴後，1882年城市設計工程師查維克（又譯柴維克，Osbert Chadwick）受殖民地部所託來港考察，他撰寫的《查維克報告書》，鉅細無遺點出香港在衛生、市政、城市設計各方面的大量缺陷，並提出改善建議。政府亦回應報告，在1883年成立潔淨局（市政局的前身），是執行衛生和防疫工作的前線機構，但港府認為它不必有實權，所以該局四位成員全是官員。1887年，署理港督金馬倫（Sir William Cameron）強推《公共衛生條例》，為了令反對的業主妥協，局中兩席改為直接選舉。從此，潔淨／市政局長期成為香港唯一有直選議員的公共機構，更是官民角力的戰場。

The prosperity of HK couldn't mask the alarming state of public hygiene. In response to direct complaints from the Armed Forces, the Colonial Office commissioned Osbert Chadwick, a city planning engineer to investigate the situation in 1882. The “Chadwick Report” meticulously pointed out the numerous deficiencies in public hygiene, municipal services and urban planning in HK, while also providing numerous recommendations for improvement. In response to the Chadwick Report, the HK government established the Sanitary Board (the predecessor of the Urban Council) to take the lead in public health and disease prevention. However, the government believed that it didn’t require extensive g powers, so the board consisted of four government officials as its members . In 1887, Acting Governor Sir William Cameron pushed through the “Order and Cleanliness regulations”. An olive branch was extended to opposing landlords by offering two seats on the board for direct elections. Since then and for a very long time, the Sanitary Board / Urban Council had become the only public institution in Hong Kong with directly elected members, and a battleground between the government and citizens.