- Huang Ying
- BBC Chinese Contributing Writer
September 13, 2022 at 5:19 am
image source,Archyde.com
The death of Queen Elizabeth II (Queen Elizabeth II) last week has caused many Hong Kong residents to miss the colonial-era “sovereign lady” (a Hong Kong-style saying, the name for the lady of the boss). They described This is the end of an epoch, and it also evokes their memories and nostalgia for the life before the return in 1997. The BBC Chinese interviewed two Hong Kongers born in the 1950s, detailing their reluctance to part with this “grandmother”.
The British colonization of Hong Kong began in 1842 when the Qing government signed the Sino-British Treaty of Nanjing to cede the island of Hong Kong, and in 1997 the sovereignty was handed over. From her accession to the throne in 1952 to 1997, Queen Elizabeth II served as the “grandmother” of Hong Kong people for 45 years, and these 45 years accounted for nearly one-third of the entire colonial period. The older generation, especially the Hong Kong people born following the war, grew up with the Queen’s shadow. After her death, messages of condolences were washed on social media; in the past few days, a large number of citizens went to the door of the British Consulate General in Hong Kong to lay flowers in mourning, which also marked the end of an era.
Li Aiwei was born in the year the Queen ascended the throne. The Queen celebrates her 70th birthday this year, as well as her 70th birthday. Becoming a grandmother last year, this native-born, colonial-educated fashion “grandmother” who likes to listen to the Beatles (The Beatles), says she is never “colonial”, but she was somewhat influenced by British culture when she was growing up . The queen dresses elegantly and heavy, which also inspires her pursuit of elegant clothing. During the epidemic, the color of the mask the queen wears every day is the same as the color of the clothes that day. She is also inspired to wear the mask of the same color as her clothes every day.
The scene of Queen Elizabeth II’s two visits to Hong Kong in 1975 and 1986, decades apart, is still vivid to Lai Aiwei…
Lai Aiwei became an auxiliary police officer in the 1970s. When the Queen visited Hong Kong in 1975, she was stationed in Mong Kok and was fortunate enough to witness the Queen’s car.
This is the passport of the British Dependent Territories citizens of Hong Kong people at that time, and Lai Aiwei has preserved it to this day.
In 1975, she became an auxiliary police officer (Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force) and was stationed in Mong Kok. During the Queen’s visit to Hong Kong, she was stationed in Argyle Street, Kowloon. When the caravan carrying the Queen and Prince Philip (Prince Philip) drove by, she Luckily, she witnessed the demeanor of the two up close; in 1986, she had already left her job as an auxiliary police officer, and she was deeply impressed by seeing the queen of the British Empire on TV, walking on the streets of Hong Kong without any pretense, with a very close attitude to the people. .
Lai told BBC Chinese that as a mother and grandmother, Queen Elizabeth has been through the ups and downs of the royal family for so many years, but she is still not shy, and she firmly controls the majesty of the royal family; she also maintains the dignity of her children and accepts and tolerates their negative reports. . Li confessed that he felt sorry for her and felt that she had been subjected to many accusations and cold words.
The moment she saw the news of the Queen’s passing, Li Aiwei felt that it was the end of an era. She admitted that she was not particularly sad, because people will eventually leave. Instead, she admired her as a monarch, dedicated her life to the people, devoted her life to the last moment, Two days before his death, he still kept his post and appointed Prime Minister Zhuo Huisi (Liz Truss); following 70 years in office, he was unyielding, “Did she achieve the constitutional monarchy, or did the constitutional monarchy achieve her?”
Peng Zhiming, a senior publisher and Cantonese research expert, admitted that he was saddened by the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in an interview with the BBC in Chinese. “Rarely is a country’s monarch who can be praised by people all over the world. She can unite the hearts of the people internally and maintain the country’s image externally.”
Senior publisher Peng Zhiming has a deep love for English literature and has published two books on Shakespeare’s literature.
In the colonial era, Hong Kong people called Elizabeth II the “grandmother of affairs”. Peng Zhiming pointed out that this is a Cantonese saying, close to the people and stick to the ground.
He explained that “Shitou” originally meant the owner of a shop, institution, or the owner of a family. If it was the supreme leader of a nobleman, it was also called Shitou. The Chinese “Shitou” was the leader of each family. Cantonese call the wife of “Shitou” “Shitou Po”. The queen is a woman, and the word “po” is automatically added. In Hong Kong in the old days, the head and the buddies had dinner together at the same table. They were one of the closest people in their lives. It was not just the relationship between the boss and the subordinate, but more like a family. Initially, only the civil servants and the disciplined services nicknamed the Queen as “The Head Lady”. Later, this gradually became the nickname given to the Queen by the citizens of the streets and alleys.
Peng Zhiming collects coins with the Queen’s portrait from different eras, saying that they will not be sold for cash.
Peng Zhiming said that Hong Kong people have left a deep impression on the Queen’s two visits to Hong Kong in 1975 and 1986, which are still unforgettable to this day. He told BBC Chinese that the past 10 years are the best years for Hong Kong to start and develop. Her first visit to Hong Kong in 1975 was at the end of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. This year, Peng Zhiming graduated from middle school and just stepped into social work. At that time, the economic and social development of mainland China and Hong Kong was very different, and many Hong Kong people helped their domestic compatriots. The Queen’s image was noble, elegant, and close to the people, which was particularly attractive. Peng still has a clear memory. At that time, wherever the Queen of England went, there were thousands of people; and she was the first British monarch to visit Hong Kong during the colonial era, which was a world-renowned event. The second visit was in 1986, two years following the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Her visit had the effect of stabilizing the morale of the military. She has very strong soft power. She visited Hong Kong twice because she was close to the people, kind and noble, so she left a deep impression on Hong Kong people.
Regarding the voice of discussion regarding Hong Kong royalists (royalists) on the Internet, Peng Zhiming believes that the people who come to the consulate to pay their respects do not necessarily have political awareness, nor do they necessarily represent the political actions of “royalists”. He believes that most Hong Kong people’s mourning for the Queen is mostly a tribute to a deceased “grandmother” who is worthy of respect, who built Hong Kong and brought happiness to Hong Kong people. Hong Kong people went to the door of the British Consulate General in Hong Kong to lay flowers to mourn. It does not mean that they are “colonial” or love colonial rule and ideas, but “reminisce regarding Hong Kong in the past, an era full of hope for the future”.
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