Possession Street

Look down towards Queen's Road: it's hard to imagine, but the waves used to break here. This street marks the site of Possession Point, the spur of coastline where British Hong Kong began.

1The First Opium War

In 1839 Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu seized and destroyed thousands of chests of opium belonging to British merchants in Canton. London answered with war. In January 1841, in the middle of the fighting, Captain Charles Elliot agreed with the Chinese negotiator Qishan to the cession of the island in the Convention of Chuenpi, a deal that neither government ever ratified.

Even so, on 26 January 1841 Commodore Gordon Bremer landed here and took formal possession of the island, to volleys from the Royal Marines. The day before, Captain Edward Belcher had already toasted the Queen on what he called «Possession Mount». The cession became final with the Treaty of Nanking, signed on 29 August 1842 at the end of the war.

Today the beach is several blocks away: reclamation pushed the sea northwards.

2From landing place to red-light district

The street's Chinese name, Shui Hang Hau, «mouth of the stream», recalls a watercourse that once ran down here. In the late 19th century the street filled up with brothels, which in 1903 were moved to Shek Tong Tsui, further west.

3What to look for

• The line of Queen's Road West, which turns sharply here, following the old coastline.
• The bilingual street sign, with the English and Chinese names.
• Hollywood Road Park, which old maps marked as Possession Point.