Hong Kong in Photos

On the midnight of June 30, 1997, China’s national flag was slowly hoisted to the top of a pole in a highprofile handover ceremony in Hong Kong, marking its return to the motherland after 156 years of British rule.

As a special administrative region of China, Hong Kong has since ushered in a new chapter in development under the principles of “one country, two systems” and “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong” with a high degree of autonomy.

Over the past 15 years, Hong Kong has successfully maintained prosperity despite challenges that came one after another, such as the Asian fnancial crisis in 1997, the epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and the global fnancial crisis in 2008. Its per-capita GDP rose from $27,000 in 1997 to $34,200 in 2011.

yaobin@bjreview.com

a bird’s-eye view of Hung Hom District in Kowloon, Hong Kong on april 26, 2011. Hong Kong has been ranked the world’s freest economy by the U.S. Heritage Foundation for 18 consecutive years since the index was frst published in 1995