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Currently Jardines consists of the following companies: Jardine Pacific , Jardine Motors Group , Jardine Lloyd Thompson , Jardine Strategic , Dairy Farm, Hong Kong Land , Mandarin Oriental, and Cycle & Carriage .
Jardine Matheson was formed in China in 1832 by William Jardine and James Matheson , both British citizens from Scotland. The company played a central role in the founding and development of Hong Kong and was among the first European companies to establish itself in Shanghai, as well as the first foreign company to establish itself in JapanJapan (, Nippon/Nihon literally "the origin of the sun") is a country in East Asia situated on a chain of islands east of the Asian continent on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean. The largest of these islands are, from north to south, Hokkaido , Honsh.
The company began as smugglers of narcotics, making its vast initial fortune as the shadowy and ruthless "importers" of opium and heroin into China. When Chinese officials attempted to wipe out this odious practice, the company became one of the primary instigators of the first Opium War in 1840, between Britain and China. By 1842, with China soundly defeated, the trade in opium, heroin, and other narcotics became more lucrative than ever. Jardine Matheson have diversified enormously since, becoming one of the largest corporations in the world; they have tried mightily to forget their unspeakable beginnings, but an ugly past tends to resurface. Probably the major reason for the relocation of the company's head offices from Hong Kong to Bermuda, prior to the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China, was to avoid retribution from the Chinese government.
In Japan, the company's Japanese name (ジャーディン・マセソン) is the transliteration of its English name. Due to its long history in Hong Kong, the company's Chinese corporate identity (怡和集團 pinyinPinyin (, pinyin) literally means "join together sounds" (a less literal translation being "phoneticize", "spell" or "transcription") in Chinese and usually refers to Hany pinyin (, literal meaning: " Han language pinyin"), which is a system of romanizati yi2 he2 ji2 tuan2) uses a totally unrelated name. On the other hand, the transliteration of Jardine (渣甸 with no particular meaning) can be found as place name everywhere in Hong Kong.
For years, Jardine has fired a cannon shot at every noon in Causeway BayCauseway Bay ( in pinyin: tong2 luo2 wan1; in Jyutping: tung4 lo4 waan1, literal meaning: " Copper Gong Bay") or East Point is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, located on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in the district of Wan Chai. Part of Ca, by Victoria Harbor, slightly eastward of the former Kellett Island. The gunshots have served as time signals for many generations of old Hong Kongers. This tradition still continues today.
In 1876Events January events January 31 The United States orders all Native Americans to move into reservations. February events February 2 The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed. February 14 Alexander Graham Bell a the company built the first railroad in China.
Jardine Matheson became publicly traded in 19611961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first "upside-down" year i. one that looked the same upside down since 1881, and the last until 6009. Events January January 1 The farthing coin, used since the 13th century, cease.
In the early 20th century Jardine's principal offices were in Shanghai. After the Communist takeover in China, these were moved to Hong Kong. In the 1980s Jardines redomiciled to Bermuda in anticipation of the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty. Despite this move Jardines remains largely an Asian company.