The truth behind the Chinese gold rush in Jinshan

Since the mid-19th century, Hong Kong has served as a departure point and trading hub for Chinese emigrants. From sailing ships to steamships and even the presidential liners of the 20th century, Hong Kong has been a hub for trans-Pacific trade, people flow, and cultural networks, offering a comprehensive range of intermediary services. Between 1850 and 1939, over 6.3 million Chinese emigrated from Hong Kong, while 7.7 million returned home via Hong Kong during the same period. This century of trans-Pacific activity has created boundless business opportunities for various industries in Hong Kong and established Hong Kong as an international trading port. The Hong Kong Museum of History is currently hosting the free exhibition "A Journey to the Golden Mountain: Hong Kong and the Life of Chinese in California." The exhibition, which introduces the experiences of early Chinese immigrants to the United States, showcases the hardships and experiences of Chinese Californians in this foreign land, and highlights the important role Hong Kong played as an intermediary. Through over 260 exhibits, the exhibition explores the history of Chinese emigration to California from the mid-19th century, illustrating the difficulties they overcame while living in a foreign land and their deep attachment to their motherland. It also highlights the crucial role Hong Kong played as an intermediary. The exhibition, which took over ten years to plan, is divided into 12 sections and features over 270 documents and artifacts, including over 180 on loan from various California museums, archives, and historical sites. Seventy percent of the California-based exhibits have never been seen before, including an embroidered banner from Sanyi Jushengtang (1880), a 1902 couplet from Chengyitang (the predecessor of the Hongmen Zhigongtang), and valuable documents from the Zhigongtang collection on Dr. Sun Yat-sen's 1911 revolutionary fundraising efforts. These are all extremely valuable and rare. To showcase the history and lives of Chinese immigrants in California from the 19th to mid-20th centuries, the exhibition reconstructs various locations, including the Angel Island Immigration Station, the Jinshan Life Hong Kong Goods Store, the Chaoji Grocery Store, and the Xuan Fo Guandi Temple. #Register for September Hotel Tester 2025