Hong Kong at 25: Retrospectives, Reflections and the Future
By Tammy Tam, Editor-in-Chief SCMP
We look at how the city has changed since the handover, and what its future holds.
The nature of news often means focusing on the present. But on unique occasions, it is equally important to take a retrospective look into the past to revisit truths that inform where we are today.
As we approach July 1 this year, Hong Kong nears the midway mark of ‘one country, two systems’, the foundational principle governing the city for 50 years after its reunification with China in 1997.
Twenty-five years into a unique period in Hong Kong history, it is worth taking a moment to contemplate the transitions, triumphs, and challenges Hong Kong has faced: what moments in our history would add valuable context to understand Hong Kong better today, and the important lessons that could provide answers on where are we headed tomorrow.
As Hong Kong’s paper of record for over a century, SCMP has witnessed, investigated, and published many of the most significant stories of our collective history. SCMP’s robust reporting has been an essential ledger of history chronicling the most significant stories for our readers.
To mark this milestone, we curated the defining moments from 25 years of Hong Kong history to form the ‘Hong Kong at 25’ project. Gathering the best of our contemporaneous reporting, our newsroom has created an archival meditation on the city’s journey.
This makes our HK at 25 microsite a unique reflection of HKSAR’s extraordinary journey over the past quarter-century. It traces how Hong Kong both thrived and struggled as an international financial hub over the years, while earning its reputation as ‘Asia’s world city’ and a cosmopolitan metropolis.
Our reporting has closely documented how Hong Kong has changed in profound ways as it struggled to solve affordable housing and livelihood issues, as well as social inequality and the widening income gap. We’ve examined the city’s trajectory, history and connection with mainland China from a political and economic perspective, recording critical and significant moments as Hong Kong continues to redefine itself under ‘one country, two systems’ and as an international financial centre equal to none. And we continue to investigate what drives and defines Hong Kong’s international culture, arts and cuisine, as well as bearing witness to the city’s profile unfolding against the backdrop of significant moments in world history.
Join us as we relive the highs and lows of the city with a special series of stories, essays, videos and infographics that detail Hong Kong’s story and its unique journey over the past 25 years. You can also enjoy a compelling selection of images by our photodesk that highlight Hong Kong’s most compelling moments.
While you’re reading our rich tapestry of content, please vote for your favourite in a line-up of our most iconic Hong Kong photos and look out for our special Hong Kong 25th anniversary quiz. You can access all of this and more at scmp.com/hong-kong-25.
