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Possession Point () is a former point of land on the northwestern coast of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, before
The Chinese Repository
'. Volume 12. Canton. 1843. p. 492. Accompanied by officers of the naval squadron the next day, Bremer took formal possession, under a ''
Central and Western Heritage Trail – Old Site of the Possession Point (Shui Hang Hau)
{{Coord, 22.286248, 114.148621, format=dms, display=title History of Hong Kong Places in Hong Kong
Possession Point () is a former point of land on the northwestern coast of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, before land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclam ...
moved the location further inland.
History
The area is where Commodore Gordon Bremer, commander-in-chief of British forces in China, took formal possession ofHong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
on 26 January 1841. Captain Edward Belcher
Admiral Sir Edward Belcher (27 February 1799 – 18 March 1877) was a British naval officer, hydrographer, and explorer. Born in Nova Scotia, he was the great-grandson of Jonathan Belcher, who served as a colonial governor of Massachus ...
, who surveyed the island in 1841, wrote: "We landed on Monday, the 25th, 1841, at fifteen minutes past eight A. M., and being the bona fide first possessors, Her Majesty's health was drank with three cheers on Possession Mount."The Chinese Repository
'. Volume 12. Canton. 1843. p. 492. Accompanied by officers of the naval squadron the next day, Bremer took formal possession, under a ''
feu de joie
A feu de joie (French: "fire of joy") is a form of formal celebratory gunfire consisting of a celebratory rifle salute, described as a "running fire of guns." As soldiers fire into the air sequentially in rapid succession, the cascade of blank r ...
'' from the Royal Marines and a royal salute from the men-of-war ships. The hoisting of the Union Jack
The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
was possibly done by either William Dowell, who was a midshipman during the ceremony, or Mohammed Arab, who served in either the Bengal Volunteers or 37th Madras Native Infantry.
The area, which came to be known as Possession Point, was kept an open space, and used for recreation by the local Chinese, who called it ''Tai Tat Tei'' (大笪地). It was developed in the 1980s and formed into a hotel and commercial complex, which is also the site of the Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal
The Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal is a ferry terminal and heliport, centrally located in Hong Kong. It is also known as the Macau Ferry Terminal, the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier or the Shun Tak Heliport, and has an ICAO code of VHSS.
The t ...
.Tsang, Steve (2007) 004 004, 0O4, O04, OO4 may refer to:
* 004, fictional British 00 Agent
* 0O4, Corning Municipal Airport (California)
* O04, the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation
* Abdul Haq Wasiq, Guantanamo detainee 004
* Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engine
* Lauda ...
''A Modern History of Hong Kong''. London: I.B. Tauris. p. 16. .
The point has now disappeared from the coastline, but Possession Street
Possession Street () is a street in Sheung Wan, from Queen's Road West to Hollywood Road, on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The street marks the boundary of Queen's Road West and Queen's Road Central.
Name
The original Chinese name wa ...
and the sudden turn of Queen's Road West
Queen's Road is a collection of roads along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong, within the limit of Victoria City. It was the first road in Hong Kong, constructed by the British between 1841 and 1843, spanning across Victori ...
reveals its original location. In maps of the 1980s and before, Hollywood Road Park
Hollywood Road Park () is an urban public park in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.
The park is built in Chinese architectural style and is surrounded by buildings nearby.
History
In maps of the 1980s and before, Hollywood Road Park is ...
is marked as Possession Point. This marks the original site which, owing to land reclamation, is no longer located on the coast.
The Chinese name, 水坑口 (Shui Hang Hau), means the mouth of water trench, reflecting the mouth of a stream that flowed down from Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is a hill on the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak only generally. With an elevation of , it is the highest hill on Hong Kong Island, ranked 29 in terms of elevation in H ...
.
See also
*Convention of Chuenpi
Convention may refer to:
* Convention (norm), a custom or tradition, a standard of presentation or conduct
** Treaty, an agreement in international law
* Convention (meeting), meeting of a (usually large) group of individuals and/or companies in ...
* History of Hong Kong (1800s–1930s)
Hong Kong (1800s–1930s) oversaw the founding of the new crown colony of Hong Kong under the British Empire. Wiltshire, Trea. irst published 1987(republished & reduced 2003). Old Hong Kong – Volume One. Central, Hong Kong: Text Form Asia ...
References
External links
Central and Western Heritage Trail – Old Site of the Possession Point (Shui Hang Hau)
{{Coord, 22.286248, 114.148621, format=dms, display=title History of Hong Kong Places in Hong Kong