Paper Title
Chinese Customary Mortgagesin Rural Hong Kong, 1905-1965: A Comparative Study

Abstract
This presentation focuses on two Chinese customary forms of mortgage, which are called dian and diya, in rural Hong Kong under British colonial rule. Through a comparative study of four Chinese lineage villages, it illustrates and discusses the development, patterns and characteristics of these two customary practices during the period 1905-1965 where modern banking service was largely unavailable in rural areas. Comparison aims at revealing the popularity of those two forms, the relationships between the borrower and the lender, the distribution of year of transactions, the mortgage length, the interest rate, and the form of interest payment. The findings of this research complement the extant literature which has largely overlooked these forms of formal collateral loans and the role of non-agnatic ties in these moneylending activities in lineage communities. Keywords: Chinese Customary Mortgage; Collateral Loan; Loans and Kinship Ties; British Colonial Policy on Chinese Mortgage; Corporate Estate and Money-Lending;