The City of Victoria,[1] (Chinese: 維多利亞市[1] or 維多利亞城[2]) often called Victoria City or simply Victoria (維城), was the de facto capital of Hong Kong during its time as a British dependent territory.[3] It was initially named Queenstown but was soon known as Victoria.[4] It was one of the first urban settlements in Hong Kong and its boundaries are recorded in the Laws of Hong Kong.[5] All government bureaux and many key departments still have their head offices located within its limit.
A 1915 map showing Victoria in the north shore of Hong Kong Island (below); Kowloon peninsula (above) was not part of the colony until 1860
In 1857, the British government expanded the scope of Victoria City and divided it into four wans (Chinese: 環; Jyutping: waan4; pinyin: huán; lit. 'rings'). The four wans are Sai Wan ("West Ring" in Chinese, present-day Sai Wan, including Kennedy Town, Shek Tong Tsui, and Sai Ying Pun), Sheung Wan ("Upper Ring" in Chinese, present-day Sheung Wan), Choong Wan or Chung Wan ("Central Ring" in Chinese, present-day Central) and Ha Wan ("Lower Ring" in Chinese, present-day Wan Chai). "Sai Wan", "Sheung Wan" and "Choong Wan" retain the same name in Chinese today.
The four wans are further divided into nine yeuks (Chinese: 約; Jyutping: joek3; pinyin: yuē, similar to "district" or "neighbourhood"). The coverage also included parts of East Point and Happy Valley (West of Wong Nai Chung Road on the east side of the racecourse). In 1903, boundary stones were established to mark the city's boundary and six of them are still preserved today. The stones spread from Causeway Bay to Kennedy Town.[14]
In the 1890s, Victoria extended four miles west to east along the coastal strip. Buildings were made of granite and brick. Buses and the new tramway would become the main form of transportation in the area.[15]
On the west – A line running due north and south drawn through the north-west angle of Inland Lot No. 1299 and extending southwards a distance of 850 feet from the aforesaid angle;
On the south – A line running due east from the southern extremity of the western boundary until it meets a contour in the vicinity of the Hill above Belchers 700 feet above principal datum, that is to say, a level 17.833 feet below the bench-mark known as "Rifleman's Bolt", the highest point of a copper bolt set horizontally in the east wall of the Royal Navy Office and Mess Block Naval Dockyard, and thence following the said contour until it meets the eastern boundary;
On the east – A line following the west side of the Government Pier, Bay View and thence along the west side of Hing Fat Street [zh-tw], then along the north side of Causeway Road to Moreton Terrace [zh-tw]. Thence along the west side of Moreton Terrace to the south-east corner of Inland Lot No. 1580 and produced in a straight line for 80 feet, and thence along the north side of Cotton Path and produced until it meets the west side of Wong Nei Chong Road on the east side of Wong Nei Chong Valley and thence to the south-east angle of Inland Lot No. 1364, produced until it meets the southern boundary.
Boundary stones
In 1903, the Hong Kong Government erected several boundary stones to mark the limits of Victoria, measuring 98 cm in height, tapered at the top and with the inscription "City Boundary 1903". As the city’s boundaries were clearly defined by ordinance, these stones were more just physical markers.[16]
Three additional boundary stones were found in 2021,[17] adding the total of discovered stones to 10, including the one disappeared in June 2007.[18]
^ abc第1章 《釋義及通則條例》 附表1 維多利亞市的界線 [CAP 1 INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE Schedule 1 Boundaries of the City of Victoria] (in Chinese) – via hklii.hk.
^Yeung Sum (5 July 2006). "OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS" [zh:會議過程正式紀錄] (PDF) (in English and Traditional Chinese). Legislative Council of Hong Kong. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
^ abc張嘉敏 (12 December 2021). "港島再發現兩塊逾百年歷史維多利亞城界石 團體籲市民勿破壞" [Two century-old Victoria City boundary stones found on Hong Kong Island; public urged not to damage]. HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 19 January 2023.
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