Being the “unique two” “Special Administrative Regions”, Macau and Hong Kong are like brothers in arms – the two cities share common characteristics such as languages and cultures, economic developments as well as governmental rules. In facing the various social issues (such as inflating housing prices and conflicts between Cantonese and Putonghua), we are facing each other in the same kind of situations. Therefore, in the recent problems that “the Oriental Pearl” has been dealing with – such as the seeming impasse of economic development, endless internal power struggles on the political scene, the difficult situation of public administration…Macau people are watching closely across the sea. Looking back onto ourselves, we cannot help but sigh in concern and fear.
On the special occasion of the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover, a Taiwan publication house has published a Traditional Chinese version of Jan Morris’ book Hong Kong: Epilogue to an Empire which was written 20 years ago when Hong Kong was handed over in 1997. Reading it now, I was plunged into deep reflection.
In 1842, Hong Kong was taken away from the Manchu Qing Empire by the British, and during the 150 years until the eventual handover back into the hands of the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong transformed itself from a small fishing village on the edge of an empire, into a renowned international financial and commercial trading harbor, positioning itself and finding a way to survive in between China and Britain.
The author of the book, Jan Morris, is legendary in her own right – born under the name James Morris in 1926 in Britain, she graduated from Oxford University and in 1972 underwent gender reassignment surgery. She has been an overseas correspondent for The Times and The Guardian. A poet, fiction writer, historian and travel writer at the same time, she was named as one of the 50 greatest post-WWII authors by The Times.
Jan Morris has applied an interesting “parallel linear” structure in her book: on one side she chronologically lists the path of Hong Kong’s development since the opening of its port, going through events from the 1840’s, 1880’s, 1920’s, 1940’s and onwards. On the other side she includes essays based on her own experiences and memories, describing the different aspects of Hong Kong societies. From population and nationalities, commercial and trade economy to the political systems…these accounts offer readers a vivid impression of actually being there, leaving a precious picture of the legacy of Hong Kong City for generations to come. It bears records of what has now past in the waves of time and history.
For me, the greatest joy of reading Hong Kong: Epilogue to an Empire is how differently it was written compared to the usual “Historical” books. The descriptions about characters, the family clans, events, streets and scenes are all based on detailed observations and expressed in vivid forms. For example, in the very first paragraph of the book, the author describes her journey by boat from Guangzhou to Hong Kong. It is described in such a lively way that the reader can imagine themselves being on the same rocking boat, sailing through the humid air of the southern mist, arriving at an exotic land filled with possibilities and legends. It is no surprise that this book is considered a classic work on reportage writings of Hong Kong’s development.
As one says, “To know the present by past experience”, it is fortunate that there is such a book for Hong Kong (Macau people can only admire). Twenty years later, in reflecting upon the events in history, one might be able to find inspiration to tackle the social problems now faced by Hong Kong people by reading this book, and find a way out. The key to these matters is if we are able to face them honestly, with necessary reflection, great determination and courage to truly deal with them.
