when did hong kong go back to china
Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong The Handover of Hong Kong (or simply "the Handover"), also known as "the Return" in mainland China, was the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China in a ceremony on 30 June 1997. The territory of Hong Kong comprised Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, which were ceded to Britain in 1842 and 1860, respectively, and the New Territories, which was leased for 99 years in 1898. The retrocession of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon was conducted to coincide with the expiration of the New Territories' lease at midnight on 30 June. The landmark event marked the end of British rule in Hong Kong, and is regarded by some as marking the end of the British Empire.
British Hong Kong British Hong Kong denotes the period during which Hong Kong was governed as a colony and British Dependent Territory of the United Kingdom. Excluding the Japanese occupation during the Second World War, Hong Kong was under British rule from 1841 to 1997. The colonial period began with the occupation of Hong Kong Island in 1841 during the First Opium War. The island was ceded by Qing China in the aftermath of the war in 1842 and established as a Crown colony in 1843. The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 after the Second Opium War and was further extended when Britain obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. Although Hong Kong Island and Kowloon were ceded in perpetuity, the leased area, which comprised over 90 per cent of the territory, had such a vital role in the economy that Britain agreed to transfer the entire colony to China upon the expiration of that lease in 1997. The transfer has been considered by many as marking the end of the British Empire.