Are you proud of your own city? Many Hongkongers today lead a hectic life and do not give much thought to why they should be proud of living in it. In fact there are so many positive things about Hong Kong that we should be super proud to be a Hongkonger.
Hong Kong is renowned for being a place where east meets west. There are more than 30,000 restaurants, offering a wide range of Western and Chinese cuisines. The fusion of east and west also characterises Hong Kong’s festivals. There is an array of exciting festivals such as the Christmas, Halloween, Chinese New Year, Cheung Chau Bun Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, which Hongkongers celebrate and rejoice every year. Visitors to Hong Kong will easily notice the vivacity of these festivals and the vibrant side of us. Hong Kong has also a rich cultural heritage. Many of the customs of Chinese people live on to this day and can be experienced in our streetscapes and cultural events. The cultural fusion and the rich cultural heritage are surely something that we, youngsters, should be proud of.
The species richness is another source of pride for many Hongkongers, especially those who love nature. Do you know that one third of the number of species of birds and one sixth of that of butterflies in China come from Hong Kong? Unbelievable, isn’t it? China is nearly 8,700 times larger than Hong Kong. With 40 percent of land consisting of country parks and nature reserves, yet we have more than 1,000 animal species and 3,300 plant species. There are also some endangered species like Chinese White Dolphins and black-faced spoonbills. We should be proud of the species richness of Hong Kong.
We have another reason to have pride in Hong Kong – there are many admirable celebrities such as Bruce Lee, Li Ka Shing and Sarah Lee, who represent the combatant spirit of Hongkongers. Take Sarah Lee for example. She was born with anaemia. However, with her clear goal and perseverance, she overcame all the obstacles and became a full-time athlete in 2004. She won a gold medal at the 500 meter time trial track cycling event at the 2010 Asian Games and got the first medal for Hong Kong in the Olympic Games in cycling. This is a milestone for Hong Kong sports. It justifies that no matter how big the challenge is, we Hongkongers with our utmost efforts can succeed eventually. Isn’t she a role model for we youngsters?
Undoubtedly some social issues have cropped up in Hong Kong in recent years, including an increase in property prices, the nuisance caused by parallel traders from Mainland, and so on. Yet according to the latest Location Ratings for expatriate living conditions published by Employment Conditions Abroad International in 2012, Hong Kong remains Asia’s third most liveable city, while globally Hong Kong is ranked eleventh. The splendid landscape, the good infrastructure and favourable conditions for investment clearly outweigh other factors in rendering Hong Kong one of the most liveable cities in the world. We can hardly find other places like Hong Kong.
Obviously, few cities in the world are as vibrant, prosperous and energetic as Hong Kong. It is indeed a great place with many wonders. So be proud of your identity!