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Description

Rare separately published map of Hong Kong, published by John Bartholomew and the Edinburgh Geographical Institute.

The map illustrates the boundaries set up by the Territorial Convention of 1860 and the New Convention of 1898.

The map was issued shortly after the signing of the New Convention on June 9, 1898.  Under the convention the territories north of what is now Boundary Street and south of the Sham Chun River, and the surrounding islands, later known as the "New Territories" were leased to the United Kingdom for 99 years rent-free, expiring on 30 June 1997, and became part of the crown colony of Hong Kong. The Kowloon Walled City was excepted and remained under the control of Qing China.

The territories which were leased to the United Kingdom were originally governed by Xin'an County, Guangdong province. Claude MacDonald, the British representative during the convention, picked a 99-year lease because he thought it was "as good as forever". Britain did not think they would ever have to give the territories back. The 99-year lease was a convenient agreement.

Rarity

We were unable to find an institutional examples of the map.  A smaller version of the map appeared the in Europe in China: The History of Hong Kong from the Beginning to the Year 1882, published in 1899.