Why three separate years?

Each part rested on a different legal basis: occupation, cession of Kowloon, then a lease of the New Territories.

Why three years and eight months?

December 1941 to August 1945 is 44 months, or three years and eight months.

Primary General Studies, Hong Kong History and Culture, Paper 1: a timeline from the port to the handover

2026-10-31

Tutor Prep Guide · Primary General Studies

Ten items on the 1841, 1860 and 1898 dates, the 99-year lease, a 156-year span, 44 months of occupation, a 1,000-fold population rise, four economic stages and intangible heritage.

Focus　Three parts came in three stages: the island in 1841, Kowloon in 1860 and the New Territories in 1898; 1898 plus 99 gives 1997; 1997 minus 1841 gives 156 years; occupation from December 1941 to August 1945 is 44 months, or 3 years and 8 months; 7,500,000 divided by 7,500 is 1,000 times; the stages run entrepot, manufacturing, production moving north, then finance; Cantonese opera, the fire dragon dance and the bun festival are intangible heritage.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10
Suggested time	25
Difficulty mix	Foundation 4 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 2 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: Primary General Studies: Hong Kong History and Culture
Level	P3 to P6

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationIn which years did Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories come under British administration?
FoundationThe New Territories was leased for 99 years from 1898. When did the lease expire?
FoundationFrom 1841 to 1997, how many years passed?
FoundationHong Kong was under Japanese occupation from December 1941 to August 1945. How many months is that?
IntermediateIn 1841 Hong Kong Island had about 7,500 people and today there are about 7,500,000. How many times bigger is that?
IntermediateWhat is the correct order of the four stages of Hong Kong economic development?
IntermediateWhich three of these are intangible cultural heritage in Hong Kong: Cantonese opera, the Tai Hang fire dragon dance, the Cheung Chau bun festival, the Star Ferry?
ChallengeSomeone says the 99-year New Territories lease expiring in 1997 was a coincidence. Do you agree?
ChallengeWhy did the arrival of large numbers of people from the mainland after the war help Hong Kong industry?
Error redoA classmate says Hong Kong was already an international financial centre when it opened as a port. Is that right?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	Hong Kong Island in 1841, the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and the New Territories in 1898.	The three parts came in three stages, not under one treaty.
2	1898 + 99 = 1997.	The year the lease expired is the year sovereignty was transferred.
3	1997 minus 1841 gives 156 years.	Subtract the two years to get the span.
4	44 months, that is 3 years and 8 months.	Counting from December 1941 to August 1945 gives 44 months.
5	7,500,000 divided by 7,500 gives 1,000 times.	Use division, not subtraction, to compare sizes.
6	Entrepot trade in the early years, manufacturing from the 1950s to the 1970s, production moving north from the 1980s, and now finance and professional services.	Each stage grew out of the conditions of the one before.
7	Cantonese opera, the Tai Hang fire dragon dance and the Cheung Chau festival; the Star Ferry is a form of transport.	Intangible heritage covers skills and customs, not buildings or machines.
8	No. 1898 plus 99 equals 1997, so the lease running out and the handover fall in the same year.	Adding the years shows how the two events are linked.
9	It brought labour, capital and skills, and with export markets this let light industries such as textiles, plastics and toys grow quickly.	People bring labour but also capital and skills.
10	No. Entrepot trade dominated the early years, and the financial centre role only took shape after the 1970s.	Reading today status back into the 1840s is a mix-up in time.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

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