Here they raised the “blue sky with a white sun” flag of revolution, and when it failed they waited for a great comeback in Hong Kong.  The colonial legal system of Hong Kong had protected a lot of insurgents, and with the knowledge, propagation and financial support of wealthy Hong Kong merchants like Ho Kai, the patriots often managed to get away from being extradited and executed in China. 

The Kowloon-Canton Railway was yet to appear when the colonial government took over the New Territories.  Transporting between China and Hong Kong was mainly by water, and there were abundant water routes linking Hong Kong with Macau and the Guangdong province, and, in fact, the whole country, even the world.  The Pier in Sheung Wan, therefore, was the artery of revolutionary traffic.  While “foot soldiers” advanced inland via the Pier to join the revolts, dockers and sailors were always ready to open the door for the revolutionaries: they assisted, for example, in smuggling munitions and soldiers for the revolution and safeguarding Mr. Sun when he met his compatriots on the Hong Kong waters.