The Cartographic invention of Hong Kong: Alexander Dalrymple and the British colonisation of the Pearl River Estuary, 1646–1841

Abstract

This article critically examines the intersection of cartography and British imperialism in the context of Hong Kong. It investigates the production and transmission of geographical knowledge from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, emphasizing the instrumental role of cartography in shaping colonial ambitions in the Pearl River Estuary. By focusing on the hydrographic surveys and maps produced by British cartographers, particularly Alexander Dalrymple, the study demonstrates how these works facilitated the transformation of Hong Kong into an abstract imperial space. Through a rigorous analysis of British cartographic practices, this article reveals the processes of abstraction, erasure of indigenous knowledge, and ideological reorientation that underpinned the production of British imperial space in the Pearl River estuary. It concludes by assessing the long-term impact of Dalrymple's cartographic legacy on British diplomatic, military, and commercial strategies, culminating in the occupation of Hong Kong Harbour during the First Opium War. This study contributes to the historiography of cartography and colonialism by elucidating the complex interplay between scientific mapping techniques and imperial expansion in the context of British colonialism in East Asia.