The handover of Asia's last two European colonies , Hong
Kong in 1997 and Macau in 1999, opened new eras for both places.
While in both the vestiges of their colonial eras are still
obvious, and among their greatest attractions - the buildings, the
names, the food and the use of European languages - subtle changes
are already underway, as these two "Special Administrative Regions
of China" seek to establish identities and roles for
themselves.
Under colonial rule such soul-searching was never an issue. The
populations in both places had little say in their futures, so they
concentrated their efforts on other things, notably making money.
Of course, they were not the only ones in Asia to take this path,
but their economic success - at least Hong Kong's - simply
highlighted their anachronistic position as dependent territories,
decades after most other colonies had achieved self-rule.
That, understandably, was one of the reasons for the delay in
resolving their status. Independence was never a serious
proposition for either place, but the alternatives were not
attractive. In the end, the situation was forced by two things: in
Hong Kong's case, the approach of 1997, when the treaty on the new
territories ran out, while in Macau's, the desire of the
post-revolutionary Portuguese government to get rid of the place.
Both entities now find themselves in a unique position - subject to
the ultimate rule of Beijing, they form two semi-democratic
capitalist enclaves under the control of an unaccountable communist
state.
This is not to say that the people of Hong Kong and Macau were
not glad to see the end of colonialism - an overwhelming majority
in both places supported the transfer of power, something shown by
the way the handover produced remarkably little emotion or
nostalgia among local people. They are, after all, thoroughly
Chinese (the population of the two territories is 97 percent
Chinese), and very largely Cantonese (although that doesn't mean
there isn't tension and mutual suspicion between them and people
from other parts of China). The overwhelming majority of the people
speak only the Cantonese dialect, eat only Cantonese food, pray in
Chinese temples and enjoy close cultural and blood relations with
the Cantonese population that lives just over the border, in the
southern provinces of mainland China.
Indeed, it is hard to overstate the symbolic importance that the
handovers had for the entire Chinese population - sealing the end
of the era of foreign domination, with the return of the last piece
of occupied soil to the motherland. However, worrying questions
remain, notably whether the One Country/Two Systems policy dreamed
of by Deng Xiaoping will work in the longer term, in particular if
China's own economic progress begins to falter.
Amid the uncertainty, however, life continues as normal in many
ways for both territories. Hong Kong continues to offer the
densest concentration and greatest variety of shops and shopping
malls of any place on earth, and the vistas of sea and island,
green mountains and futuristic cityscapes remain. The range and
variety of cuisines available - from Nepali snackbars to
British pubs - is also ongoing. An excellent infrastructure,
including the airport at Chek Lap Kok, the efficient
underground trains, the helpful tourist offices and all the other
facilities of a genuinely international city, make this an
extremely soft entry indeed into the Chinese world.
While Hong Kong is a place to do business, Macau is known
in the region as a Chinese playground, a haven for gambling
and other sins, a mini Las Vegas of the East. The marks of its
colonial past are more immediately obvious than they are in Hong
Kong, in its Portuguese architecture , old churches and
(almost) Mediterranean seafront promenade. It can even boast its
own indigenous population, the Macanese, a tiny mixed-blood
minority, whose origins in the colony date back centuries and who
are often bilingual in Portuguese and Cantonese. The cheap
Portuguese wine and Macanese cooking - an interesting
marriage of Chinese and Mediterranean influences - are further
reminders of colonial heritage, as is the faintly Latin lifestyle,
altogether less hectic and mellower than in other parts of southern
China. South of the main city, on the tiny islands of Taipa and
Coloane, are beaches and quiet villages where you can eat fish and
drink Portuguese rum in relative peace.
Visitors to this part of southern China can expect to
spend more money here than in other parts of the country,
though not necessarily as much as you might expect considering the
often huge differential in terms of quality of service compared to
the mainland. Public transport in both Hong Kong and Macau
is still incredibly cheap. Travellers on a tight budget who stay in
dormitory accommodation can get by on US$25 a day, though at the
other end of the market in hotels, restaurants and shops, prices
quickly rise to international levels.