[放眼天下]A celebration above all celebrations
As the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) approaches, celebratory activities in Hong Kong are coming to a climax. Yesterday, celebrations kicked off with 14,000 people participating in an early morning charity walk along the Island Eastern Corridor to raise $10 million. In the afternoon, 60 dragons and lions danced in Central, and later there were a sea land and sky parade at the Golden Bauhinia Square on the Wan Chai waterfront and a carnival-like parade at Victoria Park. At all these events, performers and spectators alike at the scene kept chanting slogans such as "Happy birthday to our Motherland", "Come on, China". The whole city was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
Amid the city-wide festive fervour over the National Day, the composition of the Hong Kong delegation, with representatives from various sectors, for the gala activities in Beijing has become "a celebration atop celebrations", "a joy atop joys". As early as over a month ago, quite a few personages including known business people and celebrities had already begun to inquire about the "list" of the delegation. Whoever knew he was on the list, and especially upon receipt of the formal invitation, would jump and shout for joy. Some of the invited delegates even joked that they would keep photos taken on the visitors' stands at Tiananmen for their grandchildren: "How great was your grandparent, who attended Beijing’s grand celebrations for the 60th National Day."
Needless to say, those who are not invited are greatly disappointed. But since the number of delegates is so limited it is inevitable that not all deserving individuals could be invited.
Invited by the Central Government and organised by the SAR Government, the Hong Kong delegation attending celebrations of the 60th National Day in Beijing will set off on 30 September and return on 2 October. In Beijing, the delegates will participate in major events such as reviewing military parade, the float parade and evening fireworks at Tiananmen. The delegation has drawn wide attention. First, this has to do with "face". To be invited clearly is a manifestation of one’s social status. But more importantly, this shows patriotism has already become the irreversible mainstream of Hong Kong society, given the unprecedented upsurge of Hong Kong people’s patriotic sentiments with the elevated standing of our country. It is still fresh in memory that in the early days when the new China was founded, similar celebratory activities were also held in Tiananmen. But noted personages in Hong Kong were in a dilemma upon receiving an invitation. For, if they attended the celebrations in Beijing, the consequences could be that they would have never been invited by the (British) Hong Kong government any more, or even that they could have been denied entry visa to the United States as well as business orders. As a result, most of them could only politely turn down Beijing's invitation. The few individuals who accepted the invitation and attended celebrations in Beijing asked that no photos of them be taken or their names reported in the media. In those days being Chinese could mean being deprived of the right to attend the National Day celebrations. But today, people compete fiercely for an invitation to attend celebrations in Beijing. What a world of difference!
Grand celebrations of the 60th birthday of PRC at Tiananmen certainly won't go without the participation of the Hong Kong delegation. Every period of reconstruction of the Motherland in the past 60 years has seen the enthusiastic support and participation of Hong Kong compatriots, passionately and painstakingly. In the nomination of Hong Kong delegates this year, some "veteran patriots" who have devoted their lifetime efforts to patriotic undertakings have certainly not been forgotten. Some elites currently active in finance, economy and other sectors have naturally been chosen as representatives of Hong Kong society. The delegation also includes representatives of womenfolk - "the other half of the sky", elite athletes who have won honours for Hong Kong, and representatives of young students – the future pillars of society. Whether some members of the "pan-democratic" camp have been invited, it has drawn keen attention.
In regard to this issue, it must be pointed out that the very mission of the delegation is to attend activities celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of PRC. Hence, through participation in such activities, to jointly celebrate the great achievements made by the Motherland, to hail the growing prosperity and strength of the Motherland, to share the glory of being a Chinese today, to better understand the pride and responsibility of being a Chinese today, should be the consensus and obligation of all members of the Hong Kong delegation. Other issues, such as general suffrage in the SAR, are not on the agenda of the National Day celebrations in Beijing. Nor is it a proper occasion to discuss such issues.
The head of the Hong Kong delegation, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, already left Hong Kong for Beijing yesterday. The main body of the delegation will set off on Wednesday. Here we wish the Hong Kong delegation a happy journey. It is also our wish that our delegates will applaud more enthusiastically on behalf of us when they stand on the visitors' stands at Tiananmen on 1 October.
28 September 2009
