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SCMP Reporter

The clocks ticked towards midnight and Hong Kong's 6.3 million people waited for their date with destiny.

  Earlier, fireworks had exploded above Victoria Harbour, heralding a great moment of ethnic pride.

  I am Chinese - born and raised in a British territory. And my mother country, China, seems quite strange to me.

  Despite this, the handover has a deep and special meaning - it is the first time we have been able to feel a true sense of our Chinese identity.

   It was mesmerising at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre, witnessing a happy ending to a long and fascinating story.

  The mood was in fact a mixture of celebration and anxiety - and of silent prayers for the ceremony to run smoothly.

  For some it was just a big party, but for many it was a time for staying glued to the television set, awaiting the big moment.

 Jiang Zemin , President of the People's Republic of China, shook hands with the Prince of Wales to mark the handover of power after 156 years of British rule. He is the first Chinese head of state to visit the territory.

  It also was the first time the Pearl of the Orient had been graced with the presence of all China's top leaders.

 Mr Jiang, Prince Charles and hundreds of VIPs from throughout the world attended the handover ceremony. Many witnessed the establishment of the Special Administrative Region (SAR) as the new government was sworn in. Chinese and British soldiers, as well as the Royal Hong Kong and SAR police, carried flags to a rostrum in the Grand Hall of the convention centre's new extension.

 I could hardly hold back tears when I saw the Chinese flag going up - perhaps they were tears of joy. It was then that I realised how much I loved my country and how proud I was to be Chinese.

  Three SAR policemen repeated the manoeuvre with the SAR's bauhinia flag.

  The Union flag was first lowered gradually to the tune of God Save the Queen and the national flag of the People's Republic of China was raised along with Hong Kong's SAR flag. A People's Liberation Army band played the Chinese national anthem.

 Mr Jiang said: 'The return of Hong Kong to the motherland after going through a century of vicissitudes indicates that from now on the Hong Kong compatriots have become true masters of this Chinese land and that Hong Kong has now entered a new era of development.'   The scene was very touching, especially for us, the 'children of the Dragon'.

 It not only marked the end to historic humiliation, but also showed the determination of the mainland leadership to keep its promise to allow the territory to operate under the 'one country, two systems' principle.

  Every Chinese person should show respect for and reinforce their understanding of our nation as we stand on the threshold of a new era of prosperity, stability and glory.

  I'm sure the Special Administrative Region will make a significant contribution to the modernisation of China.

 The road ahead will not be problem- free. But, as a Chinese person with many hopes and dreams, I want things to work for Hong Kong because this is where my future lies.

   The proof, for this great Chinese city, will be in the decades ahead.



DATE WITH DESTINY