This painting, created by Yonqua in 1854, captures a panoramic view of Victoria City (Hong Kong was named Victoria City after it was occupied by Britain in 1842). Compared with other works by Yonqua, it shows that by 1854 Hong Kong's landscape had undergone an astonishing transformation from a small colony into a Western city within a few years. Splendid buildings of trading firms line the shore, while handsome European-style houses terrace the mountain slopes.   Close