June 28, 2007

• 30th June 1997

  The tenth anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to the PRC is on 1st July 2007.

  
  

  On 30th June 1997, we were a British colony. 24 hours later, we were under the reign of the Communist Party.

  
  

  I still remember that day like it was yesterday. On the 30th June 1997 I was a lower 6th student at CLC. It was Monday and school day. My RadioTimes magazine told me that the BBC would provide a live coverage from 3pm until 5-ish. I had arranged for the program to be recorded. School finished at 4:30pm and I ran back to my room and I turned on the tv. I saw this :

  
  

  

  
  

  Representatives from the PRC were on the left, and the Brits (see Prince Charles?) were on the right.

  
  

  At the stroke of midnight, the Union Jack was slowly lowered, marking the end of the Brit's 150 years rule over Hong Kong. Prince Charles and his people then sailed off in the Royal Yatch Britania. The yatch was afloat, but my heart sank very low.

  
  

  I could not stop crying. I cried because I was scared. As mentioned in previous entries, HK people of my generation were left with extremely poor/ fearful impression of the PRC government after the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989. I did not know what Hong Kong's future will hold. But I was not positive.

  
  

  Now 10 years on, and after living in Hong Kong for almost 6 years, my fear for the PRC government has subsided because hatred has taken over. This will be discussed another time. 

  
  

  Before the handover the PRC government promised us nothing would be changed in the next 50 years. I look back and I am like *LOL*

  
  

  To me, the 1st of July will be a day to mourn our loss, rather than to celebrate.

  
  

   

  • 4:58 am
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