TOP: FIREWORKS DISPLAY TO CELEBRATE THE CHINESE NATIONAL DAY IN 1997. BOTTOM: PATRIOTIC DISPLAY IN HONG KONG THIS WEEK AHEAD OF THE HANDOVER ANNIVERSARY . PHOTOs: TOMMY CHENG/AFP; PETER PARKS/AFP
TOP: KATE, DAUGHTER OF LAST BRITISH GOVERNOR CHRIS PATTEN, SHORTLY BEFORE THEIR DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG IN 1997. BOTTOM: JOHN LEE, ACTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF HONG KONG, SHARED A TOAST WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS DURING THE HANDOVER ANNIVERSARY LAST YEAR. PHOTOs: WTN/AFP; PETER PARKS/AFP
CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING IS IN HONG KONG THIS WEEK FOR THE HANDOVER ANNIVERSARY. PHOTO: SELIM CHTAYTI/AFP
TOP: THE ANNUAL CANDLELIGHT VIGIL TO COMMEMORATE JUNE 4 WAS HELD IN HONG KONG FOR THIRTY YEARS. BOTTOM: SINCE 2021, IT WAS EFFECTIVELY BANNED BY THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES. PHOTOs: PHILIP FONG/AFP; PETER PARKS/AFP
TOP: PROTESTERS DEFACED HONG KONG'S BAUHINIA INSIGNIA IN THE CITY'S LEGISLATURE WHEN THEY STORMED THE COMPLEX ON THE HANDOVER ANNIVERSARY IN 2019. BOTTOM: SINCE DECEMBER, THE CHINESE EMBLEM HAS HUNG ABOVE HONG KONG’S BAUHINIA INSIGNIA IN THE MAIN CHAMBER OF THE CITY’S LEGISLATURE. PHOTOS: VIVEK PRAKASH/AFP; PETER PARKS/AFP
TOP: HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SUPPORTED THE PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTESTS BY FORMING HUMAN CHAINS OUTSIDE THEIR SCHOOLS IN 2019. BOTTOM: STARTING THIS YEAR, SCHOOLS IN HONG KONG MUST HOLD WEEKLY FLAG-RAISING CEREMONIES. PHOTOS:ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP; ISAAC LAWRENCE/AFP
TOP: HONG KONG PROTESTERS UNEARTHED BRICKS FROM THE PAVEMENT AND USED THEM AS BLOCKADES DURING THE PROTESTS IN 2019. BOTTOM: A PROTEST SLOGAN IS ETCHED ON THE PAVEMENT. PHOTOS: ISAAC LAWRENCE/AFP;ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP