In the recent Christmas, although the epidemic in Hong Kong is still continuing, the Christmas decorations on the streets still make the citizens feel a strong festive atmosphere.
The Peninsula Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui is a landmark in Hong Kong and a popular pick-up location during the Christmas season.
But 80 years ago, on December 25, 1941, The Peninsula Hotel, 336 rooms on the third floor, opened the prelude to Hong Kong's three years and eight months of daily occupation, this day, also known as the "Black Christmas" in Hong Kong's history.
Wartime "refuge", a new target for the Japanese army
In 1941, the Sino-Japanese war was in a difficult phase of stalemate, and Hong Kong, which was isolated outside the mouth of the Pearl River, seemed to be no longer able to stand alone. Since being invaded by the British on January 26, 1841, Hong Kong has been free of war for a hundred years and has become a "paradise" for wartime Chinese refuge. However, with the continuation of Japan's invasion of China, Hong Kong has already smelled the smoke of gunfire.
At this time, the situation in Europe also changed dramatically. In 1940, Germany successfully attacked Western Europe, the Netherlands and France fell one after another, and Britain was in danger. Germany's numerous achievements have made Japan envious, and the colonies of Western European countries in the Far East seem to be within easy reach.
At the Imperial Council on July 2, 1941, Japan formulated the Outline of Imperial National Policy adapted to the evolution of the situation, establishing the implementation of the "Southward Expansion Strategy", and the Pacific War was on the verge of breaking out. Attacking Hong Kong has also become Japan's established national policy.
Outline of Imperial State Policy Adapting to the Evolution of the Situation
After eighteen days, Hong Kong fell
On the morning of December 8, 1941, 36 Japanese bombers hovered over Hong Kong's Kai Tak airport and launched the first wave of air raids.
At the same time, the Japanese 38th Division launched an overland offensive, crossing the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border into the New Territories. By dusk, the Japanese had captured Tai Po and Sha Tin in the New Territories.
The British troops stationed in Hong Kong pinned their hopes on the Drunken Bay Line, a military defensive line of about 18 kilometers, along which dense concrete forts, machine gun forts, trenches and other fortifications were constructed, which was regarded as the most important barrier to Kowloon and was known as the "Maginot Line of the East". But on the night of 9 December, a small group of Japanese troops broke through a weak link in the defensive line and then launched a full-scale attack on the Drunken Bay Line. On 11 December, all defenders of the Drunken Bay Line withdrew and retreated to Hong Kong Island.
On the night of 18 December, the Japanese successfully landed on Hong Kong Island and advanced into the mountains early the next morning, resulting in the Battle of Wong Ni Chung, in which the defender commander, Brigadier General Rosen, was killed. In the days that followed, the defenders fought and retreated until they were besieged on the Stanley Peninsula.
On the morning of 25 December, Governor Yang Muqi issued a Christmas message encouraging the defenders to continue fighting. At three o'clock in the afternoon, in the face of the defenders who could no longer organize effective resistance, Yang Muqi decided to surrender after consulting with senior officials of the British government in Hong Kong. At about four o'clock in the afternoon, white flags were hoisted all over the British front. In the evening, Yang Muqi led Hong Kong British government officials across Victoria Harbor to the Japanese headquarters at the Peninsula Hotel. On behalf of the British government in Hong Kong, Yang Muqi signed a surrender instrument to the Japanese army.
The dark years of the Fall
On 20 February 1942, the Japanese government officially declared Hong Kong the occupation of hong Kong, and set up a governor's office at the HSBC Headquarters Building in Central, with Lieutenant General Ryosuke Isoya as the governor of the occupied territory.
Ryosuke Isoya, standing in front of the Governor's Office
After the Japanese army occupied Hong Kong, it vigorously promoted the "Japaneseization" of Hong Kong and promoted the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." The official language of Hong Kong has changed from English to Japanese, and the main streets and districts have changed to Japanese names. In addition to the Japanese language, schools must also teach Japanese moral etiquette, history, and national conditions.
During the fall, Hong Kong's economic operations were entirely dominated by the Japanese-occupied government. The day after Yang Muqi surrendered, Japan announced that it would replace the local currency with military tickets and arbitrarily increase the face value of military tickets.
In order to alleviate the demographic pressure caused by the food shortage, the Japanese government implemented a "homecoming policy" by means of both soft and hard measures, and demobilized a large number of Chinese who fled to Hong Kong before the war back to Chinese mainland. During the three-year and eight-month period, Hong Kong's total population fell from 1.6 million to 600,000.
Continue to resist, and finally meet the victory of the War of Resistance
During the fall of Hong Kong, there was still a team fighting continuously. From December 9, 1941, the Guangdong People's Anti-Japanese Guerrillas sent troops into the New Territories and Kowloon areas of Hong Kong. As soon as the Japanese army occupied Hong Kong, it immediately blocked traffic and searched for patriots and anti-Japanese fighters, and the Guangdong People's Anti-Japanese Guerrillas organized a secret rescue to successfully transfer hundreds of patriotic democrats trapped in Hong Kong and well-known figures in cultural circles to Chinese mainland.
Group photo of some cultural celebrities after the victorious rescue
In February 1942, the Guangdong People's Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Force established the Hong Kong-Kowloon Independent Brigade in Huangmaoying Village, Saigon, to continue to carry out guerrilla operations, cooperate with the Allies, exchange military intelligence, and make important contributions to the victory of the world anti-fascist war.
On August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito of Japan issued the Edict of the End of the War by radio, announcing his unconditional surrender. After a secret contest between China, Britain, and the United States, the three allies fighting against Japan, on September 16, British Rear Admiral Xia Wei, on behalf of the Chinese theater and Britain, accepted the surrender of Japanese Army Rear Admiral Omegi Okada and Vice Admiral Fujita Takuro, and signed the surrender document of Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Governor's Palace.
At about 9 p.m. that night, a large fireworks display was held in Victoria Harbour, and the fate of Hong Kong was rewritten again.
The filming and production of this program lasted for four months, and the film crew traveled over the mountains and mountains, covering the New Territories, Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, and a large number of little-known relics of the Hong Kong War of Resistance will be presented one by one in the film.
January 22 at 22:00 p.m
Phoenix Satellite TV Chinese Taiwan Ace Broadcast special presentation
The Siege of Hong Kong in the Pacific War
Stay tuned!
Editor: Zhou Zhenghao