Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). Originally confined to Hong Kong Island, the colony's boundaries were extended in stages to the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories by 1898.

Lowry visited Hong Kong on his voyage to the Far East in 1927. Lowry arrived on board Pyrrhus on July 19th 1927 and departed on the 21st. Lowry refers to Hong Kong in his novel Ultramarine; "That Sunday, bound for Hong Kong, we had come up on deck". (Pg.76) and "that night the Oedipus Tyrannus had reached another port, Hong Kong. She glided in silently at four bells in the evening. Lanterns were singing at the water's edge, an army of lights marched with torches up the slope to the barracks, a few natives came aboard wearing enormous cymbal-shaped hats. Behind the ship the Peninsular Hotel at Kowloon loomed darkly..." (Pg.76); " 'story about a Chink fireman I heard and the English sailor at the Christian cemetery in Hong Kong. ' " (Pg.173).

The Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong

The Peninsula Hotel opened in December 1928 located at the junction of Nathan Road and Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Founded by members of the Kadoorie family, the hotel today is part of the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels group. Built with the idea that it would be "the finest hotel east of Suez." Passengers arriving in Hong Kong by ocean liner disembarked onto the quays of Kowloon plus, it was the last stop on the trans-Siberian rail link that brought travelers from Europe.

We must assume Lowry saw the incomplete hotel on his 1927 voyage to the Far East as he stopped in Hong Kong between June 19th and June 21st 1927. Lowry refers to the hotel in his novel Ultramarine; "Behind the ship the Peninsular Hotel at Kowloon loomed darkly" (Pg. 77)

Peninsular Hotel, Kowloon

Founded by members of the Kadoorie family The Peninsula was built with the idea that it would be "the finest hotel east of Suez." In December 1928 the hotel opened in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, located at junction of Nathan Road and Salisbury Road and directly opposite the quays where ocean liner passengers disembarked. Kowloon was also the last stop on the trans-Siberian rail link that brought travelers from Europe. As such, the Peninsula hotel was ideally situated to take advantage of the increasing number of wealthy visitors to the area. Read more on Wikipedia


Lowry refers to the hotel in his first novel Ultramarine;"Behind the ship the Peninsular Hotel at Kowloon loomed darkly.." (Pg. 77). We can assume that Lowry saw the hotel being built on his Far East voyage in 1927 though it was not complete to the following year.