ENG-1966 — Page 287

A Fascination .

Their innate common sense and resourcefulness have equipped the people of Hong Kong with a remarkable ability to adapt to changing circumstance. It is these qualities which have helped the Colony to survive, and even to thrive upon, the formidable economic problems posed in its post-war history. But despite their largely rational outlook on the bread-and-butter needs of making a living,

the Hong Kong Chinese are as intrigued as anyone else, and probably more than most, with the eternal enigma of what is to come. It is perhaps their very eagerness to meet whatever the future may bring that prompts them to consult pavement astrologers, temple mediums and others who claim an insight into such mysteries. Some still take this quest seriously but a growing number are beginning to regard it as no more than an entertaining diver- sion from the daily routine.

A pretty Chinese girl shakes a numbered stick from a bamboo container and wonders if she could be holding her future in her hands.

LIBR

B.I.Iwith the

Future