Chapter 12 Robinson (1836~1912)

Robinson (1836~1912), British.He worked in the British Colonial Office in his early years.He held key positions in different departments of the Ministry, but never had the opportunity to be sent overseas.The silent life of the Colonial Office bored him, and the rigid and cumbersome administrative procedures weighed on him.He was overwhelmed with excitement when the Colonial Office notified him to serve as the governor of Hong Kong.He is 55 years old, this is undoubtedly the last chance. During the tenure of William Robinson, Hong Kong was plagued by disasters and disasters. The most terrible plague occurred. Countless people died and corpses were everywhere. In January 1893, the temperature dropped sharply below freezing point, the coldest record since the opening of the port; the economy was in serious difficulties, the warehouse was short of stock, and the financial expenditure was maintained by borrowing from outside.

On July 23, 1892, the Hong Kong College of Western Medicine attached to the "Alice Memorial Hospital" held its first graduation ceremony.Sun Yat-sen won the first place in the three subjects of medicine, obstetrics, sanitation and public health.Robinson attended the ceremony and presented awards to outstanding performers.Alice Memorial Hospital is the first church hospital in Hong Kong built by Ho Kai to commemorate his late wife, British royal aristocrat Alice Wycombe. In April 1894, some British people who claimed to be Hong Kong residents wrote to the British authorities, demanding Hong Kong's local autonomy and reorganizing the Legislative Council.The request stated: 1. Non-official members of the Legislative Council should be freely elected; 2. Non-official members should have more seats than official members; Freedom; 4. The Legislative Council has the right to dispose of all local administrative funds; 5. The Legislative Council has the power to manage all local affairs; 6. The Legislative Council has the right to participate in discussions on issues related to the United Kingdom and Hong Kong first, and then implement them. On August 23, Li Bang, Minister of the British Colonial Department, approved that Hong Kong could not get rid of the status of British colonial rule because the Chinese made up the majority. Under the current circumstances, the original political system should be maintained.

Eleventh William Robinson In July 1895, the British government ordered Robinson to spend 17.5% of the total income of the Hong Kong government as the cost of the British troops stationed in Hong Kong.Thomas Wecht, general manager of Standard Chartered Bank, led foreign businessmen in Hong Kong to oppose the decision of the British government, but they could not change the instructions of the London authorities. In July 1896, Robinson decided to add two non-official members to the Executive Council, appointing the general manager of Jardine Matheson Co., Ltd. and the big real estate developer Chater.This is the beginning of the establishment of non-official members of the Hong Kong Executive Council.

In 1896, the British Royal Navy decided to designate the coast north of Queen's Road as a naval district and establish Hong Kong's first dry dock.As a result, Hong Kong's Central District and Wan Chai were separated, which not only hindered the reclamation project plan, but also blocked the traffic along the coast for 60 years. On June 5, 1897, the Hong Kong government passed a resolution to abolish the curfew that had been implemented since 1843.So far, it can be regarded as the end of more than 50 years of suffering history of Chinese residents not being able to move freely at night.

In February 1898, Robinson left office.He was the first governor to leave office without having a street or building named after him.The reason for this is said to be to avoid confusion with the fifth Governor General of the same surname. Mr. Sun Yat-sen's early revolutionary activities started in Hong Kong.He went to Hong Kong in the winter of 1883 and completed his middle school courses in Hong Kong in 1886. In the summer of 1886, Sun Yat-sen was admitted to the Nanhua Medical School affiliated to Guangzhou Boji Hospital run by the American Presbyterian Church to study medicine. In January 1887, He Qi, a Chinese member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, a lawyer and a doctor, opened the Hong Kong College of Western Medicine.Sun Yat-sen felt that the teaching quality of Nanhua Medical School was not high. At the same time, public expression of political speech in Guangzhou was restricted, which was not as free as Hong Kong, so he decided to transfer to Hong Kong College of Western Medicine to study.

Sun Yat-sen not only studied professional courses seriously at the Hong Kong College of Western Medicine, but also extensively studied political science, military science, history, physics, music, etc. in Western countries, and gained extensive knowledge. During Sun Yat-sen's stay in Hong Kong, he was very concerned about political issues, often expressing his patriotic feelings to others, and explaining his new political ambitions and opinions.Using holidays and weekends, he often travels to and from Guangzhou, Macau and other places, and together with a group of like-minded people, he studies the truth of saving the country and the people and explores the way out for China.attracted the attention of the Hong Kong government. In 1892, Sun Yat-sen graduated with honors and obtained a master's degree in medicine.

In the autumn of 1892, Sun Yat-sen was invited by the Kiang Wu Hospital in Macau to work as a Western physician in the hospital.Later, he opened a traditional Chinese medicine bureau near the Mercy Hall on Macau Avenue and practiced medicine alone.Soon he changed to Guangzhou to practice medicine and opened the East and West Pharmacy. Although he was practicing medicine, he actually used the practice of medicine as a cover to meet a group of patriotic young people and study ways to save the country. In 1894, Sun Yat-sen went to Honolulu in the United States and formed the early Chinese bourgeois revolutionary group, the Xingzhong Society. For the first time, he proposed the ideal of overthrowing the Qing government, the running dog of imperialism, and establishing a bourgeois democratic republic.

In January 1895, Sun Yat-sen returned to Hong Kong and contacted Zheng Shiliang, Chen Shaobai and other progressives to prepare for the overthrow of the Qing government.The headquarters of Xingzhonghui was established at 13 Staunton Street, Central, Hong Kong.In order to avoid people's eyes and ears, the public name of "Qianhengxing" was used as a cover.The leading members of Hong Kong's Xingzhong Society met many times to discuss and formulate specific plans for the uprising and policies for the uprising. On August 27, the Hong Kong British authorities ordered the closure of Qianhengxing.Sun Yat-sen decided to take advantage of the Double Ninth Festival of the old calendar on October 26 of that year (the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar), when many people returned to the province for visits, to blow up the Governor's Mansion of Guangdong and Guangxi and stage an armed uprising in Guangzhou.Due to internal inconsistency and unsecret planning, the Qing government detected it in advance. When the machinery was secretly transported from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, it was detected and detained by the customs.

The Qing government negotiated with the Hong Kong government many times, asking Robinson to stop Sun Yat-sen's political activities in Hong Kong.The Hong Kong authorities worked closely with the Qing government to keep the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi informed of the activities of the Xingzhong Society.Tan Zhonglin, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, mobilized the army to strengthen the defense of Guangzhou, closed the revolutionary organs, and arrested the insurgents. After the failure of the Guangzhou Uprising, Sun Yat-sen "leaved Guangzhou" by boat and went to Hong Kong via Macau. On March 4, 1896, at the request of the Qing government, Robinson, the Governor of Hong Kong, issued an order to expel Sun Yat-sen from the country, announcing that Sun Yat-sen and others were prohibited from entering Hong Kong within five years. good order".Sun Yat-sen had no choice but to leave Hong Kong and go to Japan.Before his departure, he wrote to Robinson's deputy, Hong Kong Secretary of State Lockhart, asking whether he was being expelled because he "attempted to rescue the suffering compatriots from the torture of the Tartar shackles".If so, he will appeal to the British public and the civilized world at large.Because he has consulted many British friends in London, the British friends believe that the Hong Kong authorities' actions "do not comply with British laws and practices."

On October 4, 1897, Lockhart wrote back to Sun Yat-sen and said: "I have been ordered to reply to you, Mr. This government does not want to allow anyone to organize and instigate organs in British Hong Kong to think of rebellion or plotting to harm our friendly neighboring countries. , because Mr. is acting exactly as the letter said, "Hanging the people and punishing crimes is to relieve the people of the country from the fetters of the tyranny of the Tartars." Anything that hinders the diplomatic relations of neighboring countries is not allowed by this government. If you come suddenly, you must follow the order issued in 1896 to exile Mr. from the country, and you will be arrested.” Since then, although Sun Yat-sen passed through Hong Kong many times to organize the revolutionary uprising, he never went ashore. After researching and assigning tasks with the revolutionaries in Hong Kong on board, they left Hong Kong.

At that time, Hong Kong newspapers published comments criticizing Robinson's wrong policy.Some people in Britain also expressed sympathy for Sun Yat-sen.Congressman Davitt has repeatedly questioned Chamberlain, the Colonial Secretary. On July 18, 1898, he asked: "Has the Chinese government ever asked the Governor of Hong Kong to expel Sun Yat-sen from the country? If so, has it been reported to the Colonial Department before taking action? If this Chinese reformer was in the British colony Can the expulsion order be withdrawn if the territory has not violated British law?" Chamberlain's reply was that the basis of the matter was that the local governor and the person considered to be a danger to the peace and good order of the Hong Kong colony.The Chinese government has not requested the expulsion.There is no doubt that this person was involved in activities conspiring against the Chinese government.This makes it unsuitable for the matter in Hong Kong and has no reason to interfere. The most fundamental reason for Robinson's repelling attitude towards Sun Yat-sen is that it is difficult for outsiders to gain insight into it, and it is also something Robinson can't talk about. A bargaining chip for concessions in boundary negotiations. The British invaders have been brewing for a long time to occupy the New Territories by force. As early as the fifth Governor Robinson, in 1863, British officials in Hong Kong proposed to set up a fort at Lei Yue Mun, which guards the eastern entrance of the harbour.The Secretary of War believed that occupying the New Territories and Kowloon would be valuable for consolidating the military foothold. In 1884, during the reign of the ninth Governor-General George Bowen, Major General Satkin of the British Army in Hong Kong proposed that the British War Department should seize the entire Kowloon Peninsula and extend to the mountains and some islands in the north, but Baowen rejected Satykin’s proposal. the plan. In 1886, Sutkin's successor, Admiral Cameron, brought up the old matter again, but was rejected by the British Defense Committee.London's body responsible for the defense of the colony considers Hong Kong the most vulnerable of all the UK's important coaling stations, however, the northern part of the harbor is Chinese territory and sees no reason to be concerned about China's security pose to Hong Kong threaten. In March 1890, the 10th Governor of Hong Kong, William Deux, reported that there was intelligence that China planned to build a fort in Tolo Harbor overlooking Hong Kong Island.The British Colonial Secretary Knuthford suggested that the Minister in China inquire about the matter to the Chinese Prime Minister's Yamen, and told China that the British government opposed any action it considered unfriendly.British Minister to China John Orsham replied from Beijing, denying the above information, saying that China was not building fortresses.That project is part of the Kowloon-Canton Railway project. It is not inappropriate for Hong Kong to strengthen the guards at Kowloon Station. It was William Robinson who really actively promoted and practiced the further expansion of the occupation of the surrounding areas of Hong Kong, China. In 1894, Japan provoked a war of aggression against China.The Qing army was defeated, and as a result, the humiliating "Treaty of Shimonoseki" was signed, and the imperialist powers began to carve up China.The Qing government was at stake, and the governor of Hong Kong, William Robinson, quickly responded by asking for "land expansion".He believes that the Chinese royal family and government have been corrupted, and countries are rushing to China to divide their spheres of influence. This situation is a great opportunity for Britain to expand its occupation of Chinese territory.Robinson declared: "I have to solemnly point out that it is very necessary to adjust and expand this colony. 'Oriental Gibraltar' Hong Kong is not as safe as people think." In 1894, Robinson sent a letter to the British Colonial Secretary, saying: "Although it is hard to believe, I draw your attention to the following facts: Gap Reef and Henglan and the two valuable lighthouses on it Belongs to China. The east and west entrances of the port, Lei Yue Mun Strait and Green Island Waterway, belong to China. Lei Yue Mun Fortress is Chinese territory. A radius of two miles from the northern shore of the harbor belongs to China. Kowloon City belongs to China. Lei Yue Mun, which is only about a mile away from Victoria Harbor The waters belong to China. "China itself, or another country that is at war with China or the United Kingdom, may land on the north bank of the Pearl River or Mirs Bay outside the Lei Yue Mun Strait, and go south to the Kowloon Peninsula. This is not only bad for our defenders, but it is also easy to bombard Victoria from Chinese territory. Hong Kong, cut off the food supply. "I thought that the boundary of Hong Kong should be pushed to Dapeng Bay, and from there to Deep Bay, at least like Westerly, extending from Lei Yue Mun Strait in the northeast to the peak behind Kowloon, including the Kap Shui Mun at the mouth of the Pearl River. to ensure the safety of this valuable territory of the Queen. Moreover, Gap Reef, Waglan, Lantau Island and all islands within three miles of Hong Kong should be ceded to Great Britain. Otherwise, in the event of war, the colony will be difficult to defend . "If Her Majesty's Government intends to intervene in the Sino-Japanese war at the appropriate time, I would venture to pray that the above proposals will be carefully considered. This is not a grand plan, but until China recovers from its defeat, pressure should be exerted." Fearing that his letter would not convince London, Robinson also included a memorandum from the garrison commander Robert Black, emphasizing the disadvantages of Chinese military control of the port to British rule in Hong Kong. A few days later, Robinson impatiently sent a second letter, explaining in more detail the reasons for expanding the occupation of Chinese territory: "If it is necessary for the security of the colony and to deal with the enemies of Europe, let alone China, it is necessary to cut off a corner of the opposite continent and completely control the adjacent waters. "China's national power is at its lowest point right now, but considering Japan's progress, 50 years from now, maybe 20 years, China may become a military power with sufficient technical knowledge to exploit its natural resources. By then, if the Hong Kong border Still like now, the Chinese fleet is moored in Kowloon Bay, and the surrounding mountaintops and islands are owned by China. Where can we hide? Rely on others to show mercy? … "The present great opportunity is fleeting. No matter how great Japan's success is, no matter how deep China's humiliation is, the Chinese Empire is rich in resources and potential, and she will not rest on her laurels for long. Japan's war against China will spark a general uprising , 20 years later, China will no longer be Wuxia Amen. If you want to do it, do it immediately, and the time is not with me.” Today, more than a hundred years later, I dug out Robinson's letter and put it in front of my compatriots to relive the dream of the imperialist invaders. For the younger generation, for those who are forgetful, and for those For those who are not conducive to China's development, I am afraid it is necessary. Robinson really deserves to be a politician of the veteran imperial aggressors. He saw more than a hundred years ago that China would one day stand up and become a powerful country in the world. However, despite this, his position as an aggressor is still It prompted him to ask to take advantage of China's weakness and rob China's territory before it became strong. In the second month after the Qing government signed the "Treaty of Shimonoseki" with Japan, in May 1895, the British Military Joint Committee took the opportunity to publish the "Report on the Boundary Issues of Colonial Hong Kong" and put forward the request for land expansion, which was immediately approved by the relevant British authorities. agree. At the end of 1897, the British, through the Guangzhou Consul, proposed to lease strategically important places to defend Hong Kong. On April 1, 1898, on the pretext that Guangzhou Bay was leased to France, the British threatened the security of Hong Kong and requested to expand the territory of Hong Kong to protect the security of Hong Kong.The British Minister to China, Dou Nale, formally proposed to Li Hongzhang, the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Yamen of the Qing government, that the British Hong Kong authorities were not satisfied with the current boundary and hoped to expand the land.The so-called negotiation is actually to illegally occupy the land first, and then use strong ships and guns to coerce and force the signing of a treaty to confirm it.Since the Qing government had already agreed to the lease of land in China by Germany, Russia, France, etc., how dare it oppose the lease of land in China by the British government?However, for the sake of face, when the Qing government agreed to sell the land, it also put forward several pitiful requirements: 1. Keep Kowloon City under the jurisdiction of China, and the civil and military officials of the Qing government will still perform their functions as usual; 2. To prevent opium smuggling in Hong Kong, Request the Hong Kong authorities to assist the Chinese Customs in anti-smuggling and tax collection; 3. Reserve a Mirs Bay Wharf near Kowloon City for use by Chinese officials; 4. Chinese warships and merchant ships in Dapeng Bay and Shenzhen Bay, regardless of wartime or peace All free to drive and park, etc.The relevant British authorities, eager to sign the expansion of the land treaty, fully agreed to the four demands of the Qing government. On June 9, 1898, the "Special Articles on the Expansion of Hong Kong's Boundary Site" was signed in Beijing by Li Hongzhang, Xu Yingkui and the British Minister to China, Donna Le, and came into effect on July 1.The full text of the article is as follows: "After many years of investigation, it has been found that a non-expanded boundary site in Hong Kong is not enough to defend. Today, the Chinese and British governments have agreed to expand the British boundary as a new leased land according to the attached map. The detailed boundary line, The two countries should be urged to send personnel to investigate and make a delineation, with a time limit of 99 years. It was also agreed that all Chinese officials currently stationed in Kowloon City can still conduct their own affairs in the city, but they must not have any military equipment to defend Hong Kong. The rest of the newly leased land is exclusively under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom. As far as Kowloon is connected to Xin'an, Chinese officials and people will continue to travel as usual. It is also agreed that the old wharf area of ​​​​Kowloon City will remain nearby, so that Chinese soldiers and merchants can ferry at will. It will be parked and parked so that officials and people in the city can walk freely. In the future, China will build a railway to Kowloon, which is under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom, and do business temporarily. It is also agreed that within the area to be developed, the residents cannot be forced to relocate, and the property should not be transferred to the government. The price of land needed by officials, such as the construction of forts, etc., should be public. Since the establishment, if there is any incident of war between the two countries, it will still be handled in accordance with the original Hong Kong regulations of the Sino-British Treaty. Check the leased land with the UK according to the attached map , there are Dapeng Bay and the water surface of Shenzhen Bay, but it is agreed that the two bays can still be used by Chinese warships whether they are inside or outside the bureau. .” After the signing of the "Special Regulations on Expanding Hong Kong's Boundary Site", the Kowloon Peninsula area south of the Shenzhen River and north of Boundary Street, as well as more than 200 nearby islands, will cover a total area of ​​975.1 square kilometers, accounting for 22% of the entire county area of ​​Xin'an County. /3 of China's land was forcibly rented out by the British.The lease term is 99 years.This piece of land was called the "New Territories" by the British Hong Kong authorities. During Robinson's reign, Hong Kong experienced a historic catastrophe—the plague.This plague lasted for ten years.In 1894, nearly 6,000 people died in a few days.In just one day on June 7, more than 100 people died in the most densely populated area of ​​Victoria Peak in Central, and more than 60 people were infected with this incurable disease.Immediately panicked. Regarding the plague, the Hong Kong government was helpless at that time. The only preventive measures were to isolate the patients and prohibit Hong Kong people from leaving Hong Kong to prevent the epidemic from spreading to other places.The remains of those who died of the plague were collected, first soaked in lime water, and then buried.The house where the deceased lived must also be thoroughly fumigated and disinfected, which will make people panic even more.Although the Hong Kong government banned leaving Hong Kong, more than 80,000 of the more than 200,000 residents left Hong Kong in a short period of time to avoid the epidemic in a hurry, making the market depressed and bleak. This kind of plague with a high mortality rate and rapid spread, anyone may be infected without warning. One or two days after infection, the lymph glands in the armpit and crotch will be nucleated, and then the plague will become comatose and die instantly. .After the patient died, his whole body turned black, so it was also called "Black Death". At that time, when the cause of the disease was unknown and there was no cure, in order to control the development of the epidemic, the Hong Kong government purchased residential houses in Kau Ru Fang, Sin Hing Lane, Yacai Lane, and Mei Lun Lane, which were seriously ill in Central, and demolished them to flat ground. The disease is still spreading. As a large number of Hong Kong people left Hong Kong and there were many ships, the plague also spread to the mainland and overseas. In 1896, the plague in Hong Kong spread to Guangzhou and Kunming in the Mainland.It spread farther abroad to Mumbai in India and the North Sea in Russia.In Guangzhou alone, 100,000 residents were infected with the plague, and the number of Indians who died of the plague was even more unpredictable. Regarding the rapid spread of the plague, the Hong Kong British government and the medical community have studied countermeasures. Robinson proposed to allow Chinese patients with the plague to be treated at home. The medical officer objected, advocating that the patients must be sent to the hospital for treatment. On May 31, 1901, the Hong Kong Sanitation Bureau held a meeting and decided to open an office in Kowloon to be responsible for the fumigation and cleaning of plague-stricken houses. At the same time, a small ship was dispatched to the areas where the plague was most prevalent in Wan Chai, Fish Bay and Shau Kei Wan Tow two wooden boats, one carrying plague patients and the other carrying plague dead, to Kennedy Town Hospital.However, the above mandatory measures have been opposed by the public.Many citizens felt that sick relatives were forced into sedan chairs and carried away, and the dead were thrown into lime water. They felt that it was unbearable to see them. Therefore, they were willing to treat themselves at home instead of being sent to the hospital for treatment.The bereaved family members of the victims of the disease are also unwilling to move the corpses to the hospital to be buried with lime, and most of them arrange them secretly.In this way, the plague spread more rapidly. For several consecutive years, every late spring and early summer, it would be rampant for a while, and soon it would affect the commercial center and the city of Victoria where foreigners gathered.Therefore, the Cleansing Bureau is very strict in carrying out the task of fumigation and cleaning of houses.It is stipulated that starting from Bonham Street and ending at Chenghuang Street, with Caine Road as the upper boundary and Wellington Street as the lower boundary, Tung Wah Hospital will send personnel to spray potion and powder door to door for disinfection. The Hong Kong government's measure of fumigation of residents' houses has also been resisted by Chinese residents in Hong Kong, especially women who feel that they are too harassed.At that time, hundreds of women sent more than 20 representatives to the Department of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China, and loudly read a statement of hundreds of words to express their opposition. Later, a Japanese doctor named Wei Tuo Shitao, in the harsh environment of Kennedy Town Hospital, discovered that the plague was caused by a bacteria carried by rats.So Robinson took two emergency measures: The first is to reward mouse catching. Anyone who catches a single mouse will be rewarded with 2 points in Hong Kong dollars, which was later increased to 5 points.Rat hunting was very popular in Hong Kong for a while, and moving scenes of rat hunting can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys, open ditches and culverts.The second is to introduce vaccines from foreign countries and give all citizens a preventive injection, which has achieved remarkable results.The plague, which had been suffering for 10 years, was finally brought under control. Reconstruction of the Taiping Mountains after the plague in 1894 In 1896, some British medical officials expressed doubts about the use of traditional Chinese medicine in Donghua Hospital to treat the plague, and asked to switch to Western medicine.Governor William Robinson ordered the Lockhart Commission of Inquiry to investigate.After the investigation, the committee pointed out in the report: the hospital used Chinese methods to treat patients instead of British methods, which has its own reasons and should continue to be used.Otherwise, since there are public hospitals, there is no need to set up Tung Wah Hospital.The establishment of the hospital has the effect of encouraging Chinese to be admitted to the hospital for treatment, and to prevent Chinese from dying of poverty and illness at home without notice. The work done by Donghua Hospital is beyond the capacity of public hospitals.The investigation committee also made statistics on the number of patients diagnosed and treated by Donghua Hospital. From 1891 to 1895, Donghua Hospital admitted 10,806 male patients and 1,952 female patients.There were 530,781 outpatient visits for male patients and 272,287 outpatient visits for female patients.All these patients are treated free of charge.As for self-paid patients, from 1891 to 1895, there were only 106 male patients and only 47 female patients. In 1896, the population of Hong Kong was about 240,000.In the past five years, Donghua Hospital had an average of 163,200 TCM outpatient visits per year.This shows the important role Donghua Hospital played in plague medical services at that time. On January 17, 1896, the Chinese Association was formally established.This marks that by the end of the nineteenth century, the Chinese businessmen in Hong Kong had become a force that cannot be ignored, both economically and politically. Shortly after the British occupation of Hong Kong, Chinese businessmen in Hong Kong began to organize Chinese associations such as hometown associations and trade associations, but they were scattered and sporadic. In 1868, the Hong Kong "North and South Office" was established, which was a large-scale Chinese trade organization in Hong Kong in the early days.However, it is still a guild organization of a single nature and lacks a unified appeal among Chinese businessmen.After the 1880s, the influence of Chinese capital gradually rose, and the sense of unity and political influence of the Chinese in Hong Kong increased day by day. Beginning in 1880, Wu Tingfang entered the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Government, followed by Huang Sheng in 1884 and He Qi in 1890. In 1887, 40,000 Chinese people jointly signed a petition on building management and area issues in public health administration, which became a major event for Chinese people to participate in local administration at the end of the 19th century.With the expansion of Chinese influence, the establishment of a unified Chinese business organization has become a need for the development of the situation.Dozens of well-known business figures in Hong Kong at that time, including Gu Huishan of Baolong Jinshanzhuang, Huang Yaoqing of Juchanghao Diantou Silk and Satin Village, and Feng Huachuan of Zhonghua Yinhao, saw the right time and initiated the organization of the "Zhonghua Guild Hall". On Banham Road in the Mid-Levels. When it was officially established on January 17, Chen Kunshan, the deputy general of the Kowloon Association sent by the Qing government to Kowloon City, was invited to attend and preside over the opening ceremony. The guild hall is composed of Hong Kong Chinese-owned companies, Chinese businessmen and professionals living in Hong Kong. The purpose is to "connect the township and friendship for business", unite the Chinese in Hong Kong, and promote the development and prosperity of Hong Kong's economy and trade. In 1900, Chinese merchants Feng Huachuan, Chen Gengyu, He Zeming and others proposed to change the name of "Chinese Merchants Guild Hall" to "Hong Kong Chinese Merchants Public Bureau", and the office was moved from Banham Road to No. 20-32 Des Voeux Road, Central. In 1913, it was renamed "Hong Kong Chinese Chamber of Commerce"; in 1952, it was renamed "Hong Kong Chinese General Chamber of Commerce".There are more and more members. By 1993, the total number of members reached more than 6,000, including 2,200 individual members, more than 3,600 members of chambers of commerce, and 89 group members. Members cover more and more industries. The development of China has made more and more significant contributions, especially in promoting the development of trade with mainland China, and the achievements are particularly outstanding. In 1898, when the 11th Governor-General Robinson and the 12th Governor-General Bu Li handed over, Hong Kong did something of historical significance - the construction of Songwang Terrace. In the spring of 1277, Zhao Duanzong of the Southern Song Dynasty fled to Chaozhou, Guangdong from Quanzhou, Fujian, and then passed through Huizhou and Humen. At the turn of spring and summer of 1278, he fled to Lantau Island outside Guangzhou Bay, where he died on the way.Wen Tianxiang established Wei Wang Zhao Bing as emperor, escorted by Zhang Shijie and Lu Xiufu, and transferred from Lantau Island to Yashan in Xinhui by boat.With pursuers behind and no way forward, Zhao Bing threw himself into the sea and died.On the way of displacement, the Zhao brothers took refuge in Kowloon, so they left three relics of Songwangtai, Erwangcun and Suzhuangshi for future generations to commemorate and look up. According to legend, Zhao Shi was chased by Yuan soldiers to a small hill in Ma Tau Chung, Kowloon. At a critical moment, the big rock on the hill suddenly cracked and a cave appeared. The stones on the top of the tower have meritorious service and are called "Song Wangtai" by later generations. The small hill in Ma Tau Chung has a radius of only 300 feet and a height of 140 feet. It borders Kowloon Bay on the northeast, Ma Tau Kok on the south, Tam Kung Road on the west, and Erwang Village on the southwest. On August 15, 1898, a Chinese member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Government proposed to the authorities to build and protect Song Wangtai as a historic site according to the wishes of the citizens.The reasons he expressed are: 1. Song Wangtai has a history of more than 600 years and should be protected; 2. After the opening of Kowloon, it is really beneficial to preserve this place as a place for residents to visit. The Hong Kong government approved this proposal and agreed to erect an inscription on the site of Songwangtai. The inscription is written in both Chinese and English. There is also a historical legend related to the construction of Song Wangtai: when the project was in progress, one day a stonemason named "Doupiguang" was digging sand in the cave after other craftsmen had been working casually. I suddenly found a cave, which seemed to be artificially built. I reached in to explore and felt that there was a heating inside. After digging, I found a treasure box.This treasure box is simple and exquisite, with dragon and chicken claws carved on the surface.The craftsman opened the box and saw that there were seven ancient relics inside: 1. An ancient dragon song bottle.Its color is pure white like jade, and an ink dragon is bound outside; 2. An ancient Wushan inkstone.The body of the inkstone is emerald green, painted with magnificent patterns; 3. A piece of Agarwood Buddha.The carving is fine and has a strange fragrance; 4. A piece of rectangular jade, which is dazzling; 5. A man and a woman hug each other like a piece, which is vermilion; 6. A pair of dragon seals, six inches long, with a five-clawed golden dragon engraved on the handle, and the bottom of the seal There are Song style characters; seven or five dragons ring one, and the five dragons around the body hold their heads up, standing in front of them, and the dragon claws are fully visible.Together with the treasure box, it is counted as 8 historical relics. This treasure box and the treasures contained in it obviously belonged to the court of the Song Dynasty. They are important cultural relics and historical witnesses for the study of Chinese history.However, after the excavation, together with the treasure box and 7 treasures, they all changed hands and fell into the hands of foreigners in foreign firms.These cultural relics with historical value were mysteriously thrown into the dark, and I don't know where they are. After the Japanese militarists invaded and occupied Hong Kong in December 1941, they expanded Kai Tak Airport and took the opportunity to razed Song Wangtai to the ground, and the symbolic stone was also moved.In fact, the small hill of 300 square feet did not affect the expansion of the airport. The Japanese army's forcible eradication was nothing more than an attempt to eliminate the national concept of the Chinese people. On November 25, 1898, Bu Li took over as the twelfth governor of Hong Kong, and until November 12, 1903, he served for a term of five years.