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Mainland travelers discriminated against
I am writing to express my opinion on the issue of individual travel scheme for Mainlanders.
The scheme has attracted a lot of Mainland tourists to Hong Kong. They may come here because of the interesting historical background of Hong Kong – they want to see what it is like to be a once-colonized city. However, the impression I get from the Hong Kong government and the mass media is that these tourists are rich and are willing to spend lots of money. No wonders Putonghua speakers always receive the best service when shopping.
Although Mainland tourists are seen as the saviors of Hong Kong’s suffering economy, the general public has mixed feelings towards them. Most Hong Kong people, especially the younger generation, despise them. They find it very difficult to get used to the Mainlanders’ habits, such as sitting on their haunches. I remember overhearing a conversation between two university students on a train about the noise made by the Mainland visitors. The way they talked about “those Mainland people” was like they had seen something disgusting in the tourists I feel it is a real pity that some Hong Kong people do not try to accept Mainlanders. We are all part of China. What is the point of being so proud of ourselves while looking down on others?
The government should focus on developing the unique features of Hong Kong such as the colonial background or the traditional lifestyles of indigenous people in the New Territories. If not, mainland visitors will soon lose their interest in Hong Kong and turn to other countries where the goods are much cheaper and there is better value for money.
Stephanie Tsang
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
New vice-chancellor must tackle budget cuts
First of all, congratulations to Prof. Lawrence Lau, the next vice-chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Welcome to our big family.
There is no doubt that Prof. Lau is an authority in his academic field, economics. However, he left Hong Kong 40 years and may not be familiar with the situation in Hong Kong. I believe it will take time for him to catch up with the local situation when he takes office.
Prof. Lau claimed that he wants to lead the Chinese University to the international stage. This is a good idea, but it cannot be achieved easily. There is an old Chinese saying: “Before exploring the outside world, clear the internal problems.”
I think Prof. Lau needs to know that universities in Hong Kong are facing serious problem with all the proposed budget cuts. With less and less financial support, the Chinese University will have to put more emphasis on fighting for resources before trying to gain an international status.
Hennis
Tong
Tuen Mun