"I can't do it. I am Chinese, and I will always love my motherland."
The above remarks came from an apology video posted on Weibo by Hong Kong veteran film and Cantonese opera actor Luo Jiaying.
When they first saw this sentence, many mainland Chinese netizens were inevitably nervous, thinking that Luo Jiaying had made a serious political mistake, and even prepared to download his most well-known work in mainland China, "Journey to the West" to prevent him from being blocked.
And after discovering that he was apologizing for an "unconsidered" speech of condolences he released in mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, many netizens said in the comments "it's not necessary".
It turned out that the 75-year-old Luo Jiaying went to the British Consulate General in Hong Kong on Tuesday (September 13) to mourn Queen Elizabeth II, who died last week, and wrote on her Instagram account: "She ascended the throne, I am seven years old. For the past 70 years, the Queen of England has been my elder, watching me grow old. Hong Kong is under her shade, a blessed land on earth, and how many elders are there, a bouquet of flowers, my sincere condolences, forever Flowing fragrance, elephants are invisible.”
Luo Jiaying, 75, went to the British Consulate General in Hong Kong on Tuesday (September 13) to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who died last week, and posted a picture on her Instagram account with the caption, "Hong Kong is in her Under the shade, a blessed land on earth” has caused controversy.
At present, the post has been deleted.
Luo Jiaying said: I will always love my motherland (video screenshot)
This remark expressing nostalgia for the old man brought a huge public opinion storm to Luo Jiaying.
It's all the fault of "Blessed Land"
Some people pointed out that the phrase "Hong Kong is a paradise on earth under her shelter" beautifies the more than 100 years of British colonial history in Hong Kong, criticizing Law Jiaying for "recognizing a thief as a father" and "colonial mentality". The well-known Hong Kong director Gao Zhisen even posted on Facebook. "Without the struggle, hard work and self-improvement of Hong Kong people, Hong Kong cannot be a blessed land."
After Luo Jiaying deleted the original blog post and posted an apology video, hoping that everyone would not interpret his speech too much, Gao Zhisen also posted again, saying that although he felt that there was no problem with the mourning, he still disagreed with Luo's "blessed land" theory, and admitted that he did not misinterpret Luo's words. .
Most of the critics of Law Ka-ying have the same attitude as Gao Zhisen: on the premise that both the Central Government of China and the Hong Kong SAR government have expressed their deep condolences for the death of Queen Elizabeth II, whether it is Law Ka-ying or any ordinary person, mourning the Queen of England Understandable, but it is not so easy to accept that Hong Kong's prosperity is attributed to British rule, intentionally or not.
A netizen commented on Gao Zhisen's Facebook comment section: "Hong Kong's achievements under British governance are not due to the blessing of the Queen or the British government, but are earned by the efforts and hardships of our generation. Don't put money on the Queen's face. "
The well-known Hong Kong director Gao Zhisen posted on Facebook on Tuesday, shouting to Law Jiaying: "Without the struggle, hard work and self-improvement of Hong Kong people, Hong Kong cannot be a blessed land."
(Gao Zhisen fb)
Hong Kong was ceded to the British jurisdiction after the signing of the "Nanjing Treaty" in 1843 and became a British overseas colony. It did not return to China until 1997. Many older Hong Kongers like Law Ka-ying have indeed experienced the rule of the Queen of England. .
These people, as well as those who think that Law Ka-ying is not wrong, can't help but ask, compared with the political turmoil and poverty in mainland China at the same time, Hong Kong began to develop rapidly in the 1960s, becoming one of the "Four Asian Tigers", and even becoming an Eastern Hollywood, Chinese Isn't the pop culture town a "blessed land" under British rule?
It is understandable to them that they feel grateful for the stability of the year and gradually improve their living standards.
Some mainland netizens left a message: "Actually, I think your words of condolences are quite normal. After all, you lived under her rule most of the time, and Hong Kong also developed very well in those years. People will miss it. Pretty normal."
Some netizens pointed out that Luo Jiaying and his wife Wang Mingquan have always been clear "pro-China factions", and there is no need to question their patriotism.
mourning political battle
In fact, there are far more Hong Kongers expressing condolences to the Queen of England than Law Ka-ying alone, and the controversies of "colonialism" caused by it are not limited to him.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Chinese website reported on September 13 that a large number of Hong Kong citizens, wearing black clothes and holding flowers, lined up to mourn the Queen at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong the previous day. Many people waited for nearly four hours to enter the museum. signature.
In this report titled "'Colonialism' and 'Alternative Political Statements' under the National Security Law", the BBC interviewed several old, middle-aged and young people in Hong Kong, who expressed their reluctance to the Queen and the colonies The nostalgia and yearning of Hong Kong during the period.
Among these people are those who are dissatisfied with the current Hong Kong government or who are planning to emigrate overseas.
Among them, Ms. Feng, 75, told the BBC that she stayed up all night on the night that the Queen was reported to be ill. After learning of her death, she couldn't help crying. The next day, she went to the consulate to lay flowers in mourning.
"It's impossible not to have feelings for her, how could it be possible to rule for 156 years, to be indifferent to his (former) suzerain, the queen, that's cold-blooded."
Law Ka-ying recently mourned the Queen's "shelter in Hong Kong" and apologized on Weibo today: I can't make a 75-year-old homage to the eulogy. To go is an irreplaceable loss in this era" was killed by Lu Wang's expedition to the Queen of England｜Ge Minhui posted the Queen's head coin Carina Lau: An irreplaceable loss in this era
She also said that during the British rule, Hong Kong people were well-fed and well-fed, with a good education and medical system, as well as a complete rule of law, which attracted the whole world to invest in Hong Kong, and said, "What if I had sex? The UK is good to us, and we shouldn't have sex. ?"
Several young people interviewed who had not experienced British rule admitted that they were worried about the loss of Hong Kong's colonial history, and believed that the Queen was an excellent leader from the perspective of history and international relations.
A 21-year-old Miss Huang told the BBC that although she had never experienced the British era, she still thanked the UK for taking care of Hong Kong before 1997, allowing Hong Kong people to enjoy the rule of law and freedom.
Ta Kung Pao, a Hong Kong pro-establishment newspaper with an official background, published a commentary on the same day, referring to foreign media articles similar to the above BBC report as "political propaganda with ulterior motives", claiming that "the anti-Chinese media fantasies of 'Hong Kong-British survivors' occupy the mainstream of Hong Kong society. It's just ridiculous self-indulgence."
On September 13, another citizen went to the British Consulate General in Hong Kong to mourn the Queen.
(Photo by Ou Jiale)
The article angrily denounced those reports, "although they wrote about the death of the Queen of England, they were actually trying to whitewash the 'colonial rule' and smear the 'patriots ruling Hong Kong', which can be described as malicious."
The commentary said that the young people in the photos of "Hong Kong youth kneeling on one knee to worship" widely circulated on the Internet are only a very small number of people, but the "colonial mentality" that they still have today deserves attention.
The fundamental reason behind this is that Hong Kong has completely accepted the Hong Kong-British governance model for a long time since its reunification, and has not really carried out institutional replacement and "decolonization" in accordance with the post-return constitution, laws and actual conditions. project.
However, the article also emphasizes that "decolonization" does not mean denying everything in the past, but inheriting and promoting the positive and rational elements in the old things, and abandoning and denying the negative and inevitable elements in the old things. The process of sublimation and abandonment takes a long time.
In the picture posted on the Internet, a young man in black knelt on one knee in front of the bouquet of flowers mourning the Queen of England, bowing his head in silence, causing a large number of netizens to ridicule the mentality of "love colonization".
(online picture)
"Love" originates from the contrast between the old and the new
In fact, "colonialism" is not a new topic in Hong Kong for a long time. As early as the mass immigration before 1997, as recently as the anti-amendment riots in 2019, and even against strict epidemic control, whenever there are fluctuations in Hong Kong's society and people's livelihood , the topic will be brought up for discussion.
Cheng Chiyan, a professor at the Department of Politics and Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said in an interview with the official People's Daily in 2015 that the "colony" sentiment stems from the blindness and prejudice of Hong Kong people.
He pointed out that mainland China has experienced a series of historical events such as the invasion of the Eight-Power Allied Forces, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and the Cultural Revolution. At that time, Hong Kong, as a colony, was not affected by civil strife, and people naturally felt that life here was stable; However, after the reform and opening up of mainland China, Hong Kong's advantages will be difficult to reproduce, so many young and middle-aged Hong Kong people are also obsessed with the glory of the colonial period. .
Yang Yingyu, a Hong Kong historian who immigrated to the UK, was asked whether mourning the Queen embodies "colonialism" and said that the so-called "colonial" emotion is largely an emotion arising from the contrast between the old and the new.
However, Yang Yingyu emphasized: "If the Hong Kong SAR government has managed well for more than 20 years after 1997 to the present, and the people live and work in peace and contentment, who will remember the former colony?"
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Queen Elizabeth II was once the "grandmother" of Hong Kong people, both familiar and distant.
(Getty)
Hong Kong people who are "nostalgic"
Thousands of people in Hong Kong went to the British Consulate General in Hong Kong on Monday (September 12) to mourn the Queen and leave a bouquet for her to express their memory.
Although everyone may think differently in the few seconds of silence, the mourning is still real.
(Reuters)
When mourning the deceased Queen of England, whether it is to beautify the colonists, miss the colonial period, or just express condolences and miss the old days, I am afraid that every Hong Konger thinks differently in the few seconds of silence.
Although it is true that some people have strong political intentions in their nostalgia for the Queen of England, it is undeniable that for most Hong Kong people, the prosperity of Hong Kong in the last century is true, and the nostalgia for the past life is also true. The sadness of the death of the old friend's queen is also true. If you interpret this kind of human nature as "love colonization" and "anti-government", it will be a bit on the line.
Queen Elizabeth II passed away at her ninety-sixth birthday. Looking around, there are not many people of her generation. Her passing is a symbol of the end of an era for many people - not just Hong Kong people.
"Old nostalgia" may be a more appropriate expression for their mood at the moment.
The classic old song "Queen's Road East" published by Luo Dayou and Jiang Zhiguang in 1991 was written in the face of the complex psychology of the handover of Hong Kong's sovereignty, but it also fits the status quo of the Queen's death, the era has turned a page, and life still has to continue: "My confidant said goodbye and left this city. It is up to the great comrades to come up with new ideas. There are units everywhere that are sold according to the license, but Mong Kok may have to change the name."
Presumably many people, including Luo Jiaying, want to have a song, so they can miss it without being asked why.
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