Braving thunderstorms and at times heavy rain, Hong Kong today celebrated the 28th anniversary of its establishment as a Special Administrative Region of China.
In a speech at a reception to mark the occasion, Chief Executive John Lee said: “Amid an ever‑changing geopolitical landscape and constantly increasing uncertainties, Hong Kong is able to showcase exactly to the world the certainties of safety, stability and development opportunities. These are precisely what the world needs and seeks.”
He also pledged to maintain national security, improve people’s livelihoods and speed up the development of the Northern Metropolis – a 30,000 hectare residential and commercial development that will eventually house a third of Hong Kong’s population.
The day began with the traditional flag-raising ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square, attended by Lee and Zhou Ji, the new head of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong. Former leaders Donald Tsang, Carrie Lam and Leung Chng-ying (now a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference) were also in attendance.
[See more: The 24-hour Hong Kong-Shenzhen checkpoint will be completed this year]
The day is a public holiday in Hong Kong. Free museum visits and tram rides are on offer to help residents and visitors enjoy the anniversary, while some 3,800 restaurants are also offering special discounts.
Simon Wong, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, told the South China Morning Post that the sector expected a 10 percent boost in business.
However, residents were voting with their feet, with thousands streaming through checkpoints to spend the holiday in nearby Shenzhen, where prices are much cheaper – even with discounts taken into account. One Shenzhen-bound Hong Kong resident told the Post that the discounts are “not really that good.”
Another said: “These days, we don’t stay in Hong Kong to spend the holidays. It’s simply too expensive.”
