There was a rare buzz around the government headquarters in Admiralty yesterday as top officials packed their bags to make way for Leung Chun-ying's team.
With Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's term finishing at midnight tonight, those who are not staying on - either because they didn't want to or because they weren't asked - prepared for life away from government.
Outgoing ministers split their day between bidding farewell to staff and attending their last official functions with President Hu Jintao .
Chief Secretary Stephen Lam Sui-lung, who is moving on to study theology at Oxford, sent a goodbye note describing how honoured he was to have served the people of Hong Kong for 34 years.
There was a party in the office of Dr York Chow Yat-ngok, whose staff paid tribute to their boss with farewell cards as he prepared to leave the Food and Health Burea.
He promised to retain his interest in the department and 'test the quality of the service' by receiving treatment at public hospitals.