Harcourt Road Timeline

At the bottom of the official seal of old Hong Kong is an illustration depicting the British navy landing on Hong Kong Island in 1841. Many locals refer to this image as the 'Ah Kwan Leading the Way', based on the legend that a Tanka woman named Chan Kwan guided the British troops to the northern part of the island. While there are no further documents confirming Ah Kwan’s identity, it is known that the British government collaborated with Tanka people during the early years of Hong Kong's colonial rule.

Admiral Sir Cecil Halliday Jepson Harcourt represented Hong Kong to receive the surrender of Japan in 1945.

The Harcourt Road in Hong Kong appeared.

In the 1970s, Hong Kong’s economy In the 1970s, Hong Kong’s economy experienced rapid industrialization, becoming a global manufacturing hub, particularly in textiles, electronics, and toys. The city’s export-driven growth, coupled with a rise in foreign investment, laid the foundation for its transformation into a major international financial center.

In 1984, Margaret Thatcher and Zhao Ziyang signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration in Beijing, with the British government agreeing to hand over Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China in 1997. However, throughout the entire Sino-British negotiations, the people of Hong Kong were not formally involved in the discussions, nor was a referendum held.

The night view of Central and Admiralty, with Hong Kong’s Harcourt Road in the middle in the 1990s.

The last policy address delivered by the last Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, in 1996.

The handover of Hong Kong from Britain to the People’s Republic of China officially took place at midnight of 30 June, 1997. Governor Chris Patten boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia near Harcourt Road.

The economic downturn and the raging SARS epidemic prompted the largest anti-government demonstrations since the handover of sovereignty in Hong Kong in 1997, with more than half a million people taking part.

In August, the Hong Kong Government Headquarters gradually moved from Government Hill in Central to Tamar, Harcourt Road in Admiralty. Its new architectural features reference a “Door-Always-Open” attitude, symbolizing the government’s intent to be receptive to public opinion.

After the “Umbrella Movement,” more grassroots, community-driven street and neighborhood activities emerged. The goal was to connect communities and sustain daily life while incorporating ideas of civic autonomy and organization, with the hope of maintaining a state of civic awakening, similar to wild grass with its resilience and adaptability.

Hong Kong Watch, a UK registered charity, was founded, aiming at raising awareness among the wider public about violations of human rights, basic freedoms and the rule of law in Hong Kong, and advocating for actions to assist Hongkongers.

The Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement began on March 15, 2019, opposing a bill that would allow extraditions from Hong Kong to Mainland China. Emphasizing spontaneous, fluid, and flash-mob-style protests, the motto of the movemenet was “Be Water”, a strategy to avoid police confrontation.

The National Security Law, officially known as the “Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,” was passed by the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress on June 30, 2020, and came into effect in Hong Kong on the same day, without offical local legislation in Hong Kong.

"Many Hong Kongers have chosen to emigrate to the UK through the British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) immigration route launched in January 2021.

C & G Artpartment was invited by Bloc Projects to create an art exhibition titled “Harcourt Road.” Through serious research, they discovered that the Chinese character “慤” on Hong Kong’s Harcourt Road street signs has three different forms: “慤” “愨” and “𢡱”.(As of September 2024, these three variations are still in use.)