Although the administration of Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen spent millions of dollars on handover festivities on Sunday, many people were not in the mood to celebrate. To the administration's dismay, more than 60,000 people joined the march to protest against the lack of universal suffrage.
To underline the central government's concern for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, President Hu Jintao paid a three-day visit to the city and swore in the third administration, headed by Mr Tsang, on Sunday. On the same day, two giant pandas, national treasures given to Hong Kong by Beijing, began receiving visitors at the Ocean Park.
Mr Hu delivered a warning to the Hong Kong people a few hours before the protesters set off from Victoria Park. He said 'one country' was the prerequisite for 'two systems'. Political reforms should be gradual and orderly, and a democratic system can only emerge if there is continued economic development. He urged Hongkongers to 'resolutely oppose' attempts to undermine the interests of China.
Leading the pro-democracy march was Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, who marched for the first time. He said 10 years ago the people welcomed the handover, but today the promises of 'one country, two systems' and a high degree of autonomy remain far from being realised. This view is shared by many in the community.
In the past few weeks, the self-censoring local news media have presented a sanitised picture, interviewing people mainly from the pro-Beijing camp about their views of the past decade.
In spite of the hype and the whitewash, the fact remains that a decade after Hong Kong is handed back to China, the hearts of many local people have not yet returned to the mainland.
Pro-democracy politicians feel the sense of alienation most acutely. Many pro-democracy activists, including a dozen legislators, have been banned from travelling to the mainland for more than a decade.