ABSTRACT
The British Crown Colony of Hong Kong comprised three parts: the Island of Hong Kong, the Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories. Like other British colonies, Hong Kong was headed by a powerful governor, who was formally appointed by the Queen (King) of the United Kingdom. In addition, the Governor himself was generally a British civil servant without any vested interest in Hong Kong and was subject to a fixed term of service. The Hong Kong people, especially the Chinese, have long been described as politically apathetic. Living in a "borrowed time" and a "borrowed place", most of the Hong Kong Chinese are said to have emphasized material values, social stability, and short-term time horizons. During the one and a half centuries of colonial rule, Hong Kong passed through the high tide of nationalism elsewhere without any significant challenge from within.
