at the foot of lion rock
joanne lam
South China Morning Post
Thomas Yau / Bonnie Au
1997. 50. 2047. These are the numbers that are written into the history books. They govern our lives, overwhelm our conversations and decide whether we stay or go. They sow uncertainty, regardless of our choice. They count down to the day when we have to change our identity, sealing our fates before we were born. 1997 came and went with ceremony and fanfare. For a brief moment, the world watched and applauded. We collectively let out a sigh of relief and pointed to the booming economy as evidence of the promised stability. 1997 jokes became obsolete. We pleasantly continued with life while counting down from 50. Dimsum topics revolve around food, shopping, stocks and property values. Though there were signs, we wrote them off as anomalies. They will blow over, we tell ourselves. We forge ahead. We try to forget the numbers. Under the seemingly clear sky, another year starts. We still have time. 2019 became a tale of two cities. ‘It was the best of times and it was the worst of times.’ As summer turns to winter, my city became unrecognisable. It is now headline news when it normally warrants no mention at all. Words from other places in conflict are now associated with my city. The images that are splattered on all
screens are shocking, and surreal. Victoria Park was where I used to play. Glimpses of the jungle gym, the weekend balloon lady and seniors playing chess float in my head. Comparing these against images of the park being taken over for protests is jarring. The leisurely pace of the park is replaced with coordinated shouts and demands, even though the protest is peaceful. Long ago this was the site of a harbour for fishing boats, to keep them safe from the vicious wind of a typhoon. Since the land has been reclaimed, it has become a harbour of a different kind, a political one. In addition to recreation, it is also the site of the only memorial for the Tiananmen Square massacre in China. Perhaps there is no better place than Victoria Park to host the beginning of a new era for Hong Kong. It is indeed the best of times when there is hope.
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on site review 36: our material future
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