ENG-2006 — Page 497

Chapter 21

History

Hong Kong's transformation from barren rock to world city is a story about the human spirit. Time and again the city has taken hard knocks, not of its own doing. Each time, it rebounded stronger. People here call it the "can-do" spirit. Come July 1, 2007, the city will mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region staying the course as a top regional base for scores of international companies and as a magnet for overseas capital, while close ties to the booming Mainland continue to drive Hong Kong's

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economy.

Hong Kong opened a new chapter in its eventful history at the stroke of midnight on June 30, 1997 when it rejoined Mainland China from which it had been separated for more than 150 years.

The handover - as the historic event is commonly called of British rule to Chinese sovereignty was marked by the lowering of the British and Hong Kong flags and the hoisting of the Chinese national and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region flags in their place, a ceremony that was carried out with great protocol.

The changeover allows Hong Kong people to maintain their lifestyles, rights and freedoms for 50 more years from that date, as enshrined in the Sino-British Joint. Declaration.

Since that date, Hong Kong-Mainland relations have become markedly firmer; the city's economy is robust; tens of thousands of Hong Kong people now work and live on the Mainland; Hong Kong's social stability is a model in the region; and Hong Kong and the Mainland are growing economically stronger by the day.

Archaeological Background

Archaeological studies in Hong Kong began in the 1920s and have uncovered evidence of ancient human activities at many sites along the winding shoreline, testifying to events spanning more than 6 000 years. The interpretation of these events is still a matter of academic discussion. Archaeologically, Hong Kong is but a tiny part of the far greater cultural sphere of South China, itself as yet imperfectly known.

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