Historical Overview Hong Kong was, until the mid 1800’s, little more than a barren rock in the Pearl River Delta.  China was a very insular society and very protective of both it’s culture and trade. The Western countries saw the Orient as an area in which to trade, offering silver in exchange for exotic goods such as silk, porcelain and most importantly, tea.  This was obviously a drain on the supply of silver, a matter addressed by The British East India Company which started to trade in Opium.  This upset the Chinese balance of trade and had a drastic effect on it’s society All trade with Europe was through just one place, Canton and was controlled by designated Chinese agents called  Co-Hong NEXT Canton Painting by unknown artist, circa 1800