Nationalizing Hong Kong (Feb 27)
1. Nation and history
1.1. The unity of nation relies on mapping and historical writing
-Making map: integrity of national territory (Chinese maps)
-Writing history: national heritage（民族傳統）
1.2. Subsuming all communities into the imagined COMMUNITY of nation
-One of the writing strategies is to put local histories into a grand narrative(宏大敘事／大論述).
2. Example I: Nationalizing New Territories People
2.1. Patriotism as a theme of “Hong Kong history”
-The colonial past of Hong Kong as an evidence of national humiliation.
-The colonial history of Hong Kong is a history of national struggle.
2.2. “Patriotic” historiography connects historical plots into a “proof” of Hong Kong’s patriotism.
2.3. Fact: in 1898, Britain forced the Chinese government to sign the Convention of Peking and lease 356 square miles of land south of Shenzhen River to the British government for ninety-nine years. In 1899, the local inhabitants fought severely against the British government.
2.4. “Patriotic history”: NT people’s resistance showed their patriotism
2.5. Alternative history: However, according to Elizabeth Sinn and Tsai, the local inhabitants resisted against the British government because they feared that the British government might interfere with their established rights and customs.
2.6. A missing part of history:
The following paragraphs printed on the steel gate of 吉慶圍 can illustrate their mentality twenty five years after the confrontation:
「… …清政府將深圳河之南隅，租與大英國。那時清政府未將明令頒布，故當英軍到時，各鄉無知者受人煽惑，起而抗拒，我圍人民，恐受騷擾，堅閉鐵閘以避之，而英 軍疑有莠民藏匿其間，遂將鐵閘攻破；… …現二十六年傳孫伯裘，代表本圍人眾，稟呈港政府，蒙轉達英京，將鐵門發還，照舊安設，以保治安，所有費用，由港政府支給，又蒙史督憲親臨敝村行奠基禮， 足見英國政府深仁大德，亦表現吾民對於英政府之誠心悅服矣。」（1925）
2.7. The flexibility of Hong Kong people's political loyalty (The people of the New Territories in the turn of the century)
-The NT local people seemed to be identifying themselves with their family, clan and village rather than “nation”.
-They attempted to protect their village autonomy from the threat of the foreign authority
-They were willing to submit to the colonial power and even cooperate with the people in power in order to maintain their autonomy.
4. Example II: Collaborationist nationalism （「勾結民族主義」）
4.1. Since the beginning of the colonial rule, there were a lot of Chinese helping the British people in trading, consulting, contacting local people, etc.. Although these compradors Chinese sided with the British colonialists, they showed their nationalism by supporting the revolutionaries led by Sun Yat-sen.
4.2. Patriotic history: Nationalist versus compradors
-Ho Kai and other Chinese elites were nationalists or compradors?
4.3. Tsai Jung Fang’s(蔡榮芳) historical works：《香港人之香港史》 and Hong Kong in Chinese History.
-Compradors (買辦): collaborationist nationalism
-Before 1911, Ho Kai and other Chinese elites had written public letters to call on the British government to cooperate with the revolutionaries to topple the Qing Dynasty. They believed that British interference into Chinese affairs would cause regeneration of this country.
“We must admit, however reluctantly, the weakness and inability of China by herself to reorganize her fragmentary army… … In suggesting therefore that China’s army should be organized under the English, I think that it will be seen that, apart from the nation’s friendliness, they have furnished examples both of India and Egypt that should have satisfied even the most sceptic minds” (Ho Tung China Mail Jan 23 1899)
“It is also clear that without external aid or pressure China is unable to effect her own regeneration. For obvious reasons – personal gain and aggrandizement – those who hold high office, those who constitute her ruling class, do not desire Reform; those in humble life, forming her masses, wish Reform, but are powerless to attain it. In this predicament, we venture to think that England, having the predominant interest in China, and being the country most looked up to and trusted by the Chinese, should come forward and furnish the assistance and apply the requisite pressure.” (Ho Kai and Wei Yuk 1899 “Letter to Rear-Admiral Lord Charles Beresford”)
4.5. Tsai’s plot of Chinese elites, such as Ho Kai, enables him to construct alternative story to the mainstream and patriotic one.
Ho Kai and The Hong Kong College of Medicine
Stanley Ho and Ho Tung
5. Example III: Fabricating history in movie (Once upon a time in China《黃飛鴻之男兒當自強》1992)
5.1. Analysis of characters
-Heros:
*Huang Feihong: a Chinese experiencing modern life
*Sun Yatsen: nationalist, revolutionary, westernized Chinese, ... ...
-Villains:
*"White Lotus Sect": Xenophobic Chinese, gangsters
*Officials: conservative, corrupted, bureaucratic, relentless, ... ...
5.2. Narrative analysis
Equilibrium I-Huang: a traditional Chinese man
Disequilibrium:
-Huang was fascinated by modern technology
-Conflict I: Revolutionaries versus the Qing Dynasty
-Conflict II: Lotus sect versus westernized people and westerners
-Huang rescued children and helped revolutionaries
-Huang defeated the officials and White Lotus Sect
Equilibrium II-(Westernized) Chinese children and Sun were saved.
Viewpoint: Huang Feihong (Chinese/ China undergoing modernization)
5.3. Analysis of a plot:
-Western/modern medical science cooperates with traditonal Chinese medicine.
-"New-born" China: Chinese elites collaborated with westerners.
6. Multiplicity of identities and viewpoints (voices) in history
6.1. Hong Kong history cannot and should not be reduced to a single subject, no matter whether “Hong Kong” or “Chinese”.
6.2. The identities are situational and conditional, and always strategic for dealing with different problems. Likewise, their narratives cannot be combined into a single story line.
6.3. History is not an accurate record of the past. It is always presented as narratives.
6.4. Cultural politics: History is a contested terrain of ideological struggles.
7. Appendix: De-historicizing and de-contextualizing the nation
7.1. 心繫家國
7.2. A postmodern collage and pastiche of footages (more than 52 different shots)
萬里長城的日出／桂林山水／塔／香港俯瞰／上海東方明珠塔／香港俯瞰／白衣少年在長城跑步／小學生跑步／紫禁城／運動員起跑／巴士／ 田野／趕羊／小孩子在農村跑步／一群香港年青人跟農村小孩唱歌／工人在工作／海灘游冬泳／游泳比賽／嬰兒游泳／游泳比賽（奧運會？）／舞扇／在石舫前跳舞 ／長城舞刀／香港消防員救火／香港醫務人員／女飛機師／兩名男子在商業大樓外／一名小女／兩名小孩／香港交通警指導一群幼稚園小孩過馬路／火箭升空／打籃 球／煉鋼／火車前進／高速火車（上海？）／單車比賽／滑雪／划龍船／小孩打拳／國內學生進行升旗禮／草原上兩人騎馬／草原上一人騎摩托車／飛機師在飛機前／演中國戲曲（京劇？）／草原起舞（蒙古人？）／小數民族姑娘起舞／演奏交響樂／兩名少女／一名長者／國內小孩向國旗敬禮／一人在（故宮？）舞國旗／演奏交響樂／背景為五星旗／區旗淡入淡出／區旗與國旗／國旗飄揚／打出「心繫家國，志在四方」字樣
Red: National flag
Brown: National symbols
Green: Ordinary life
7.3. De-contextualizing all signs.
7.4. Putting all signs under the rubic of "nation" and "homeland"
7.5. Purified history and the missing parts of history: Where is the "June 4 incident"?
Exercise A.
What are the differences between the meanings of "Hong Kong" in the following two paragraphs (Both were written by Qishan〔琦善〕)? What is the significance of these differences to writing the history of Hong Kong?
1.1. The unity of nation relies on mapping and historical writing
-Making map: integrity of national territory (Chinese maps)
-Writing history: national heritage（民族傳統）
1.2. Subsuming all communities into the imagined COMMUNITY of nation
-One of the writing strategies is to put local histories into a grand narrative(宏大敘事／大論述).
2. Example I: Nationalizing New Territories People
2.1. Patriotism as a theme of “Hong Kong history”
-The colonial past of Hong Kong as an evidence of national humiliation.
-The colonial history of Hong Kong is a history of national struggle.
2.2. “Patriotic” historiography connects historical plots into a “proof” of Hong Kong’s patriotism.
2.3. Fact: in 1898, Britain forced the Chinese government to sign the Convention of Peking and lease 356 square miles of land south of Shenzhen River to the British government for ninety-nine years. In 1899, the local inhabitants fought severely against the British government.
2.4. “Patriotic history”: NT people’s resistance showed their patriotism
2.5. Alternative history: However, according to Elizabeth Sinn and Tsai, the local inhabitants resisted against the British government because they feared that the British government might interfere with their established rights and customs.
2.6. A missing part of history:
The following paragraphs printed on the steel gate of 吉慶圍 can illustrate their mentality twenty five years after the confrontation:
「… …清政府將深圳河之南隅，租與大英國。那時清政府未將明令頒布，故當英軍到時，各鄉無知者受人煽惑，起而抗拒，我圍人民，恐受騷擾，堅閉鐵閘以避之，而英 軍疑有莠民藏匿其間，遂將鐵閘攻破；… …現二十六年傳孫伯裘，代表本圍人眾，稟呈港政府，蒙轉達英京，將鐵門發還，照舊安設，以保治安，所有費用，由港政府支給，又蒙史督憲親臨敝村行奠基禮， 足見英國政府深仁大德，亦表現吾民對於英政府之誠心悅服矣。」（1925）
2.7. The flexibility of Hong Kong people's political loyalty (The people of the New Territories in the turn of the century)
-The NT local people seemed to be identifying themselves with their family, clan and village rather than “nation”.
-They attempted to protect their village autonomy from the threat of the foreign authority
-They were willing to submit to the colonial power and even cooperate with the people in power in order to maintain their autonomy.
4. Example II: Collaborationist nationalism （「勾結民族主義」）
4.1. Since the beginning of the colonial rule, there were a lot of Chinese helping the British people in trading, consulting, contacting local people, etc.. Although these compradors Chinese sided with the British colonialists, they showed their nationalism by supporting the revolutionaries led by Sun Yat-sen.
4.2. Patriotic history: Nationalist versus compradors
-Ho Kai and other Chinese elites were nationalists or compradors?
4.3. Tsai Jung Fang’s(蔡榮芳) historical works：《香港人之香港史》 and Hong Kong in Chinese History.
-Compradors (買辦): collaborationist nationalism
-Before 1911, Ho Kai and other Chinese elites had written public letters to call on the British government to cooperate with the revolutionaries to topple the Qing Dynasty. They believed that British interference into Chinese affairs would cause regeneration of this country.
“We must admit, however reluctantly, the weakness and inability of China by herself to reorganize her fragmentary army… … In suggesting therefore that China’s army should be organized under the English, I think that it will be seen that, apart from the nation’s friendliness, they have furnished examples both of India and Egypt that should have satisfied even the most sceptic minds” (Ho Tung China Mail Jan 23 1899)
“It is also clear that without external aid or pressure China is unable to effect her own regeneration. For obvious reasons – personal gain and aggrandizement – those who hold high office, those who constitute her ruling class, do not desire Reform; those in humble life, forming her masses, wish Reform, but are powerless to attain it. In this predicament, we venture to think that England, having the predominant interest in China, and being the country most looked up to and trusted by the Chinese, should come forward and furnish the assistance and apply the requisite pressure.” (Ho Kai and Wei Yuk 1899 “Letter to Rear-Admiral Lord Charles Beresford”)
4.5. Tsai’s plot of Chinese elites, such as Ho Kai, enables him to construct alternative story to the mainstream and patriotic one.
Ho Kai and The Hong Kong College of Medicine
Stanley Ho and Ho Tung
5. Example III: Fabricating history in movie (Once upon a time in China《黃飛鴻之男兒當自強》1992)5.1. Analysis of characters
-Heros:
*Huang Feihong: a Chinese experiencing modern life
*Sun Yatsen: nationalist, revolutionary, westernized Chinese, ... ...
-Villains:
*"White Lotus Sect": Xenophobic Chinese, gangsters
*Officials: conservative, corrupted, bureaucratic, relentless, ... ...
5.2. Narrative analysis
Equilibrium I-Huang: a traditional Chinese man
Disequilibrium:
-Huang was fascinated by modern technology
-Conflict I: Revolutionaries versus the Qing Dynasty
-Conflict II: Lotus sect versus westernized people and westerners
-Huang rescued children and helped revolutionaries
-Huang defeated the officials and White Lotus Sect
Equilibrium II-(Westernized) Chinese children and Sun were saved.
Viewpoint: Huang Feihong (Chinese/ China undergoing modernization)
5.3. Analysis of a plot:
-Western/modern medical science cooperates with traditonal Chinese medicine.
-"New-born" China: Chinese elites collaborated with westerners.
6. Multiplicity of identities and viewpoints (voices) in history
6.1. Hong Kong history cannot and should not be reduced to a single subject, no matter whether “Hong Kong” or “Chinese”.
6.2. The identities are situational and conditional, and always strategic for dealing with different problems. Likewise, their narratives cannot be combined into a single story line.
6.3. History is not an accurate record of the past. It is always presented as narratives.
6.4. Cultural politics: History is a contested terrain of ideological struggles.
7. Appendix: De-historicizing and de-contextualizing the nation
7.1. 心繫家國
7.2. A postmodern collage and pastiche of footages (more than 52 different shots)
萬里長城的日出／桂林山水／塔／香港俯瞰／上海東方明珠塔／香港俯瞰／白衣少年在長城跑步／小學生跑步／紫禁城／運動員起跑／巴士／ 田野／趕羊／小孩子在農村跑步／一群香港年青人跟農村小孩唱歌／工人在工作／海灘游冬泳／游泳比賽／嬰兒游泳／游泳比賽（奧運會？）／舞扇／在石舫前跳舞 ／長城舞刀／香港消防員救火／香港醫務人員／女飛機師／兩名男子在商業大樓外／一名小女／兩名小孩／香港交通警指導一群幼稚園小孩過馬路／火箭升空／打籃 球／煉鋼／火車前進／高速火車（上海？）／單車比賽／滑雪／划龍船／小孩打拳／國內學生進行升旗禮／草原上兩人騎馬／草原上一人騎摩托車／飛機師在飛機前／演中國戲曲（京劇？）／草原起舞（蒙古人？）／小數民族姑娘起舞／演奏交響樂／兩名少女／一名長者／國內小孩向國旗敬禮／一人在（故宮？）舞國旗／演奏交響樂／背景為五星旗／區旗淡入淡出／區旗與國旗／國旗飄揚／打出「心繫家國，志在四方」字樣
Red: National flag
Brown: National symbols
Green: Ordinary life
7.3. De-contextualizing all signs.
7.4. Putting all signs under the rubic of "nation" and "homeland"
7.5. Purified history and the missing parts of history: Where is the "June 4 incident"?
Exercise A.
What are the differences between the meanings of "Hong Kong" in the following two paragraphs (Both were written by Qishan〔琦善〕)? What is the significance of these differences to writing the history of Hong Kong?
「奴 才先訪得該夷求請地方，請所垂涎 者，一係粵省之大嶼山，一係海島，名為香港，均在老萬山以內，距澳門不遠。伏查大嶼山袤延數百里，地居險要，早經建築炮台，設有守備。即香港亦寬至七八十 里，環處眾山之中，可避風濤，如或給與，必致屯兵聚糧，建台設炮，久之必覬覦廣東，流弊不可勝言。」（琦善上奏道光，1840.12.19，馬金科 1997：217）
「查香港離省四百六十里，孤懸海外，較澳門為尤遠，衹係全島中之一隅，其餘毗連者，又名大潭，又名裙帶路，又名赤柱，又名紅香爐。若就全島而論，東西約長五十里，南北約寬二十里。專就香港而論，東西約十里，南北約五里。島內間有民房田盧，較之別島為少。」（琦善上奏道光，1841，馬金科 1997：217）
Exercise B
“Hong Kong has no precolonial past to speak of. It is true that in a sense Hong Kong did have a history before 1841, when it was ceded to the British; there are records of human settlement on the island going back at least to the Sung dynasty; but the history of Hong Kong, in terms that are relevant to what it has become today, has effectively been a history of colonialism.” (Ackbar Abbas 1997: 2)
posted by hegelchong @ 7:38 PM
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