Roughing it in the Far East: Portrayals of Life and Leisure in Colonial Hong Kong

Abstract

This paper looks at portrayals of European life in Hong Kong during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The paper draws from a wide range of sources, (namely newspaper, magazines, novels, and travel journals), produced by Britons and circulated in British popular cultures. Histories of colonial Hong Kong have often focused on the mercantile interests, legal infrastructure, and racial politics. This paper argues that the colony was often perceived as a site of leisure and opportunity for Britons. While there were certain hardships, stemming predominantly from the tropical weather, colonial life here was one of ease. As Hong Kong became increasingly developed as a modern city, there was also an emphasis in British accounts on the growing social and physical infrastructure for sports, clubs, and other leisurely pursuits. These activities and arenas replicated British social and cultural middle class lifestyles, but at times were even imagined as being more extravagant than life at home. Furthermore, life in Hong Kong was imagined as one of opportunities, be it one of mercantile endeavours or exotic adventures. Significantly, leisure and opportunities in Hong Kong were open to both men and women, albeit there were more avenues for masculine leisure.