Anyone who believes Hong Kong has it all should go searching for an official mascot. Cities, countries and even continents the world over have animal or human characters to promote a public identity. But look high and low here, and all you will find are bauhinia flowers, dragon logos and pictures of tall buildings.
None of these say anything about who we are; the casual observer might get the impression from these that we are not afraid of heights, are into mysticism, and like nothing better than the odd spot of horticulture. This may be true for a select group of green-fingered, base-jumping, hippy-hearted Hongkongers, but I sense they are a minority.
The benefits of having an official mascot are immeasurable. Through a soft, cuddly, stuffed toy, we could reveal our true spirit, provide a lasting image for the world to easily recognise, and make millions of dollars in souvenir sales.
Such has been the case for Australia's kangaroo and koala, the US with its eagle, Britain's bulldog and lion, South America's condor, and the myriad other creatures used by sporting teams, corporations, schools, and the like.
The Olympic Games has made good use of the idea, starting with Waldi the dachshund at Munich in 1972, through to the dolls Athena and Phevos, the Greek goddess of wisdom and the god of light and music, which sold by the armful at Athens in 2004.
With a carefully chosen and well-manufactured toy icon, we could also reap the rewards. Well, that is how the idea is meant to work.
Alas, the German plush toy manufacturer NICI AG, which produces the 2006 Fifa World Cup mascot, Goleo VI, has other ideas; it has declared itself insolvent and the grinning lion is partly to blame. Sales of Goleo VI have been sluggish since he went on sale for Euro19.95 ($205). Controversy seems to have much to do with the fact that soccer fans are giving him a wide berth. Germans, for one, do not identify with a lion: the nation's symbol is an eagle. Perhaps there is also a sense of guilt over how a voting scandal led to the tournament being awarded to the country rather than South Africa - the next venue - where Goleo VI would have been right at home.
