When it comes to patriotism, Hong Kong is not in the same league as Macau, the experience of the torch relay in the two cities shows.
Hong Kong police on Friday had to 'protect' demonstrators by removing them, after activists clashed with cheering crowds.
But not a sound of protest could be heard in the former Portuguese enclave when the flame passed heritage sites and glittering casinos on the 19km relay route. It was a festival of pride without a single disruption.
The 'journey of harmony' seems to have truly started in Macau, where most people feel close to the mainland and patriotic education has taken a firm hold.
While mainlanders did account for a large part of the thunderous cheers for China, thousands could be heard shouting patriotic slogans in perfect Cantonese.
Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah said at the starting ceremony that his government and people felt deeply proud that the flame was in Macau for the first time.
Resident Joseph Cheong, 29, laughed at the idea that people in the enclave would protest. 'We love China and love Macau and the relay is something we can only take pride in,' he said.