How did the name Hong Kong come from?
Before the Song Dynasty, it was a resting place for fishermen at sea. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, there was a small village on the island called "Gangcun", which was a distribution center for transporting spices in South Guangdong, hence the name Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was established on 1997.
There are several theories about the origin of the place name "Hong Kong".
1. It is said that "Hong Kong" only refers to a small village on Hong Kong Island today. This small village is near the sea, and a stream in the village flows into the sea, forming a natural harbor. The stream is sweet and delicious, and sailors coming and going at sea often come here to get water to drink. Over time, Sweet Creek became famous. This stream is also called "Xiangjiang River", and the small harbor formed by Xiangjiang River entering the sea is also called "Hong Kong". A group of British people landed on Hong Kong Island from this harbor, so they named the whole island with the word "Hong Kong". Today, some people still use "Xiangjiang" as another name for Hong Kong.
Second, the name of Hong Kong is related to spices. At that time, Hong Kong Island was administratively affiliated to Dongguan, Guangdong. Since the Ming Dynasty, a small harbor in the south of Hong Kong Island has been famous for transferring spices produced in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, and is called "Hong Kong". It is said that the spices shipped from Hong Kong at that time were of high quality and were called "Hainan treasures". Many local people in Hong Kong also grow spices for a living. "Hong Kong" is famous together with the spices planted, and it is gradually recognized by people far and near. Soon, this spice was listed as a tribute of the emperor. But later, the villagers refused to plant it, and the emperor ordered the village head to be killed. The villagers fled in all directions, and the cultivation and transshipment of spices gradually disappeared in Hong Kong, but the name of Hong Kong remained.
Thirdly, the name of Hong Kong is related to a woman named Gu Xiang. It is said that Gu Xiang is the wife of a pirate leader. After her husband died, she continued to pull up the army to occupy the island and become king. "Port" means "the port of Gu Xiang". This statement seems a bit bizarre.
Although there are different opinions, it is generally certain that the place name "Hong Kong" first appeared in the Ming Dynasty. It originally refers to a small port and village on today's Hong Kong Island, and later it was extended to the whole island. Finally, at the beginning of this century, it became the general name of the whole area occupied by British colonists. For the above three different statements, most people agree with the second one, thinking that "Hong Kong" is named after the spice transshipment place. However, the industry of making and transporting incense, which flourished three or four hundred years ago, left Hong Kong with a reputation for incense, and now there is no other trace.