Hope, reflection and disappointment as people mark 26th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule

An event in Victoria Park to celebrate the 26th anniversary of Hong Kong’s Handover from British to Chinese rule saw a relatively low turnout as showers interrupted the sunshine on Saturday. One attendee likened the changeable weather to the situation in the city.

The event was one of several organised by the government to mark the occasion, with free tram and ferry rides and complimentary museum tickets also on offer, as well as discounts at several popular restaurant chains.

Historically, thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people would gather at Victoria Park on July 1 for an annual protest rally organised by the now-defunct Civil Human Rights Front since 2003. Hundreds of NGOs and pro-democratic parties would take part. The 2020 march, scheduled to take place the day after the national security law was introduced, was banned with police citing Covid-19 precautions.

Since the 2019 protests and unrest, the city has experienced a major upheaval in what the government describes as an effort to ensure peace and prosperity. This year marks the fourth July 1 without any official public protest as Beijing and Hong Kong officials said they were happy to see the city retain its peace, moving “from chaos to stability.”

Speaking at a reception to celebrate the Handover anniversary on Saturday morning, Chief Executive John Lee said his administration had “led Hong Kong out of the darkness of the epidemic” over the past year, but warned that the city must stay alert to what he called “soft resistance.”

Changeable weather, changing city

The three-day event at Victoria Park, which opened on Friday, featured exhibitions on Chinese culture and technology. It was organised by the Hong Kong Celebrations Association, a pro-establishment group set up in 2006 to coordinate major government events.

There were not many people at the event around noon on Saturday, HKFP reporters observed. Most visitors were elderly, while there were some families with children.

Many visitors and stall holders spoke Mandarin, while members of pro-government associations and political parties took turns to take group photos holding banners celebrating the 26th anniversary in front of the event’s entrance.

A woman who gave her surname as Jing and who was wearing a traditional Chinese dress from the Tang Dynasty borrowed from a stall, told HKFP that she was excited to visit the event and experience traditional clothing on the day marking “Hong Kong’s return to its motherland.”

“The Tang Dynasty was very open. Look, the style of the dress was not conservative at all. And its capital Changan, now named Xi’an, was my hometown,” Jing said.

Aged nearly 60, Jing said she used to work in trade and had moved from Xi’an city to Hong Kong a few years ago and was a permanent resident.

“I love Hong Kong. Daily life is very convenient here. The city is becoming better and better since it’s return [to China],” Jing said, adding that she was glad that “Hong Kong was further integrating into mainland China”.

“Now Hongkongers enjoy a lot of benefits in mainland China. For example, we can buy social insurance in the mainland to get pension and medical welfare,” Jing said. She added that she was considering going back to the mainland since she had retired, “to relieve the burden on the Hong Kong government.”

Jing said she was not familiar with political issues, but that she thought “everything operates according to law in Hong Kong”.

A retired local couple in their 60s, who declined to give their names, told HKFP they had travelled from Kowloon to Victoria Park to check out the celebratory event.

Reflecting on all the changes Hong Kong had experienced since the Handover in 1997, the husband said the strongest feeling was that “change is internal”.

“Things are always changing. Nothing stays unchanged for 50 years. We will stay in Hong Kong, but we know that many young people have left the city,“ he said. His wife added: “no one could have expected that such things would happen in 2019, or how the government would handle the issues after 2019. Many people’s minds have changed over the past few years and some young people made up their mind to leave within six months or a year.”

Just before the couple spoke to HKFP, the sun gave way to pouring rain. “Look, we could never have predicted the weather would have changed so suddenly. Things are always changing in Hong Kong and all over the world. Let’s enjoy the here and now,“ the wife said.

‘Things will be better if people work together’

A man with the surname Yang told HKFP he, his wife and their three children had arrived at Victoria Park early on Saturday afternoon after travelling from Shanghai.

“We chose to travel to Hong Jong on July 1, a special day marking the city’s returning to China, “ Yang, who is a chemist with his own business, said. He added that his family loved Hong Kong and had visited the city twice a year since 2004, until the pandemic broke out in 2020.

“Our last time in the city was August 2019, when the [protest] movement was happening. People in the mainland thought it was dangerous to be in Hong Kong, but we felt safe with the police nearby,“ Yang’s wife said, while Yang added: “now there is no social movement, the city is more peaceful. Things will be better if people work hard together towards one goal. “

According to Yang, a better city meant “people will earn more money and the environment is more stable.”

With regards to Hong Kong’s recent emigration wave, Yang said that “talent is always coming and going in big cities. If Hong Kong does better, more people will come.“ Some of their friends had recently moved to Hong Kong from mainland China, he added.

Speaking at the event’s opening ceremony on Friday, Chief Executive John Lee said he was impressed by flower boards that bore 14 Chinese characters, which read: “A new outlook from stability to prosperity, a new era with a secure nation and safe home.”

Zheng Yanxiong, director of the Hong Kong Liaison Office, said at the ceremony that he was glad to see “the lovely Hong Kong from the past is back”.

“We are happy to see that over the past year, national sovereignty, security and development interests have been effectively safeguarded, and Hong Kong has gradually emerged from the political quagmire,” Zheng said.

All officials who attended the ceremony wore red, a colour that is considered auspicious in Chinese culture.

A sell out at the Hong Kong Palace Museum

Many visitors to the Hong Kong Palace Museum, which was offering free entrance on Saturday for Handover celebrations, were unaware that complimentary tickets needed to be booked online beforehand.

Security guards at the entrance kept repeating “all free tickets sold out,” as visitors were seen to be visibly disappointed. People were told that if they did not want to buy a HK$120 ticket, they could go to the museum’s courtyard to enjoy the view.

An 101-year-old man who declined to give his name told HKFP he was very angry about the arrangement as he had taken a ferry, the MTR and a minibus to reach the Palace Museum from the outlying island of Peng Chau. He said he had listened to Lee’s speech on Saturday morning, which was when he had learned that 19 museums would offer free admission.

“I have lived a long life and it would be great to enjoy the Palace Museum for free,“ he said. After arriving with his wife at the museum in West Kowloon, he argued with staff about why he could not get free tickets to the museum.

“Please tell John Lee, if the government hopes to offer freebies to the public, make better arrangements. We did not know how to book tickets online,“ the elderly man told HKFP. In the end, two people bought tickets for the old couple.

‘Eyes wide open’

Outside the Palace Museum, a woman who gave her surname as Lai said she felt the atmosphere of July 1 this year was very different from the past. 

“I used to join the July 1 march before the national security law came into effect,” Lai, a 50-year-old office clerk, told HKFP. “In the past, we were able to express our demands and opinions, enjoy civil human rights…. now? Just enjoy the view and take some photos,” she added.

Lai said she and her family were unaware of the freebies, they had already booked tickets to visit the museum online. 

Regarding all the changes over the past few years, Lai said she was “eyes wide open”. 

“I once believed that things would stay unchanged for 50 years, but they did not… all we can do is tolerate [the changes],” she said. “We should adapt to it. But I think many Hongkongers haven’t adapted.”

She said she would stay in Hong Kong as she was not rich enough to move overseas. “And plus, some friends with similar values are staying in the city… And looking back, it’s precious that we once enjoyed freedom,” Lai said.

A woman with the surname Hui, who visited the Palace Museum with her son using free tickets, said she wanted her child to know more about Chinese history and culture. 

“We did some online research before arriving, getting to know some of the relics in the Palace Museum’s collection, and then my son identified them while we visited,” Hui, who works in the education sector, said. She added that she appreciated all the freebies and discounts offered during July 1. 

When asked about whether Hong Kong had changed recently, Hui said she didn’t want to talk about “changes.”

“But at least I can say that the vibe of July 1 this year is more joyful and lively,” she said.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum was one of 19 museums and galleries managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the West Kowloon Cultural District that offered free admission on Saturday.

Additionally, about 1,500 restaurants and cafes offered 29 per cent discounts on certain dishes, meaning customers paid 71 per cent of the price, highlighting the date of July 1. People were also able to enjoy free tram rides, ferries and buses, while the MTR held a lucky draw giveaway of 71,000 single-ride passes and 26 annual passes on July 1.

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