HK's Economy Strugging in the Doldrums

Hong Kong's economy won't be recovering anytime soon

Hong Kong's economy isn't going to be bouncing back anytime soon with the latest numbers.

According to the Hong Kong Immigration Department, the statistics are as follows:

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, there's even more Hongkongers leaving the city than five years earlier, and a 39 percent drop in mainlanders coming to Hong Kong.

These numbers are not a good sign, and when Beijing has announced that permanent residents who are not ethnically Chinese can now apply for a five-year visa to the mainland, there's going to be a greater exodus from Hong Kong.

What is the Hong Kong government going to do about it, besides chasing mega events as if they were women?

Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism must be relieved that he just needs to focus on collecting two pandas from Sichuan to bring to the city within months. That will involve him leading a delegation to go there to discuss the logistics of transporting the pandas, quarantine and naming them.

The Opposite House is No More

Will miss the delicious Peking duck at Jin Yaa Tang

I just found out through a social media post that The Opposite House, a hotel run by Swire in Beijing has closed down. The hotel had a blow-out farewell party on June 29 and then closed its doors the next day.

The 16-year-old hotel was part of the complex known as Sanlitun, which featured a shopping mall anchored by Apple and Uniqlo, and when I was there, a Hong Kong-style restaurant that served Cantonese dishes.

The porcelain Mao jacket

Many years ago I got a tour of the hotel, and it was forward-thinking at the time with minimalist interiors, and the lobby was decorated with a larger-than-life cheongsam and a Mao jacket made from fragmented blue and white bowls and plates. 

On the lower ground floor was a fantastic restaurant called Jin Yaa Tang that served one of the city's best Peking ducks. There was an open kitchen where diners could watch ducks roasted over a jujube wood-fired oven.

According to The Beijinger, an English-language magazine, The Opposite House probably closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and high room rates. Apparently the hotel will be "converted into an innovated retail landmark."

In a sign posted outside the hotel, the Beijing Sanlitun Hotel Management Company Limited thanked people for their support.

"We deeply regret that we made such a difficult decision. We believe that the hotel closure is not a permanent separation, but a new beginning. We sincerely welcome your continued attention and support to Sanlitun Taikoo Li, and very much look forward to serving you in the near future," part of the notice read.

Why is it always spun as "separation", when the hotel is closing down for good? And it wasn't a divorce, it was a business decision that had to be made. 

Looking down on the swimming pool

The Opposite House was the sister hotel to the Upper House in Hong Kong, The Temple House in Chengdu, and The Middle House in Shanghai.

Hong Kong Marks 27th Anniversary of Handover

Flag-raising ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention Centre

Hey it's July 1! The 27th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong back to the motherland!

Some 4,000 police officers were deployed across the city to ensure celebrations go ahead smoothly. Those wearing what is considered seditious clothing could be stopped and questioned by police, or worse, arrested.

Celebrating the 27th anniversary of the handover

At the flag-raising ceremony held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, top officials attended, but there was no room for the public to witness the proceedings. Former chief executives Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Leung Chun-ying, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and Tung Chee-hwa were there along with Zheng Yanxiong, head of the liaison office.

In an article published on Monday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu wrote about the passing of Article 23 that has become part of Hong Kong's "glorious history".

He said the city's door was once "wide open to both thieves and friends", and now with Article 23 in place, it is a sophisticated security system that can identify "thieves" and protect its "friends".

"For an extremely small minority of those who jeopardise national security, this law is a sharp sword pointed at them; for the community at large and foreign investors, this law is a 'protector' of their rights, freedoms, property and investments," Lee wrote.

Two new pandas will come to Ocean Park

As part of the celebrations for the anniversary of the handover, Hong Kong will receive two giant pandas that will be cared for at Ocean Park. 

In a Facebook post, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung wrote: "A new pair of giant pandas will attract a massive amount of tourists and residents, injecting impetus into Hong Kong's tourism industry."

How massive is massive? 

Meanwhile, Hong Kong permanent residents who are not of Chinese nationality will be eligible for five-year permits to enter the mainland starting from July 10. Each stay can be no longer than 90 days. Yet more people will be coming to Shenzhen to shop...