Subject Description Form

Subject Code GEC1C23

Subject Title History of Hong Kong
Credit Value 3
Level 1
GUR Requirement  Cluster Area Requirement (CAR)
Intended to Fulfil  History, Cultures and World Views
 English Reading and Writing (ER & EW)
Medium of Instruction English
Contact Hours Lecture 42 hours
Pre-requisite and/or NIL
Exclusion(s)
Objectives This course focuses on the history of Hong Kong from 1842 to the
present, with topical coverage of cultural, political, social, and
economic issues. The goal is to show students how history can
explain the present, while also conveying that history is subject to
ever-changing interpretations. Students will be encouraged to
observe that interpretations of historical events arise out of the
preconceptions and historical position of the observer, and that
historical facts have a meaning only insofar as they bear on
historical problems.

Learning Outcomes Upon completion of the course students will be better equipped to
think about the historical issues confronting Hong Kong since the
colonial era.

Course Outline 1. Introduction

2. Opium trade in the Early Colonial Era
3. The Establishment of the Colonial System
4. Emergence of the Chinese Elite
5. The People's Livelihood in the Pre-war Era
6. Japanese Occupation and its Impact
7. Postwar Social and Economic Developments
8. Local Religious Beliefs and Festivals
9. East Meets West: The World of Suzie Wong
10. Reunion with China
Assessment Methods Seminar Presentation & Participation 15%

July 2013
 Field Trip Report 15%

Book Report Assignment 40%

Breakdown of the 40%:
- Argumentation and organization 15%
- Referencing and use of sources 10%
- Personal view 15%

You are required to use Chicago style for

referencing. Here is the website for your reference:
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html

Final Examination 30%

Total 100%

Reading Reading 1. G.B. Endacott, A History of Hong Kong (Hong Kong: Oxford
University Press, 1983)
2. Steve Tsang, A Modern History of Hong Kong (London; New
York: I.B. Tauris, 2004)
3. Frank Welsh, A History of Hong Kong (London: Harper Collins,
1997)

Offering Department General Education Centre

Subject Lecturer Dr. Ng Pak-sheung
Enquiry Email : geng@polyu.edu.hk
Office : A514

July 2013