The Pearl of the Orient will shine again

The flag of the Hong Kong SAR (right) flying next to China's flag outside the Exchange Square complex that houses the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Hong Kong is experiencing negative economic growth for the first time in 10 years due to protests that have been going on for more than a year. — Bloomberg

Hong Kong is many things. It is among the most affluent regions in the world with the highest development level and living standards. It is a bustling free port that connects the world, an international finance centre that never sleeps. It is a unique fusion, combining in its very own way metropolitan views, tradition values and the human touch with the most modern way of life. It is, indeed, the unequivocal Pearl of the Orient that attracts global attention.

However, ever since the “anti-extradition Bill movement” in June 2019, Hong Kong is something else. For months, it is countless vandalised shops and boutique owners trying to keep their heads above water. It is streets bearing more blockades than traffic and that are literally on fire. The Pearl of the Orient is stained with dust, and we sigh for the loss of its glow.