“Hong Kong has always been a dynamic and exciting and high-energy city, and it has that New York thing going on, and people here care about how they look.” - Mickey Drexler

In the 21st century, Hong Kong needs very little introduction to the general public, as it has become a major economic power in the world with a name as recognizable as London, New York, or Berlin. In fact, numerous textile and other products bear the familiar label “Made in Hong Kong”. However, this was not always the case. This position as a major economic world market is relatively recent having only been established in the second half of the 20th century.

The history of Hong Kong and life there before its rise to power is difficult to trace as it was not necessarily a major geographical region such as the United Kingdom which could defend and develop separately from mainland Europe because it was an island. Rather, Hong Kong, as the region is known today, is a land consisting of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, and more than 200 islands totaling 1,106 square kilometers of land. The region itself was likely largely ignored given the rough geography. The land itself is rather difficult to develop, being mountainous and hilly, resulting in less than 25 percent of the land available being developed in the modern era (Wong 2015: 19). Still, the land shows signs of prehistoric activity. 

Hong Kong: The History and Legacy of Asia’s Leading Financial Center chronicles the turbulent history of Hong Kong, and how it became one of the wealthiest places in the world despite its challenging political environment. Listen and you will learn about Hong Kong like never before.