Both long-time residents and more recent arrivals, they say they fell in love with Hong Kong and admire protesters for standing up for their rights.

The 26 entries for the Schools Challenge Hong Kong – Live Smart @ Kowloon East offer a host of innovations for imaginative repurposing of urban spaces in the old industrial neighbourhood.

Carmen Leung started at 62 after mourning the death of her husband, and has never looked back, even if it meant three years of hard work before she could do splits.

Jimmy Singh Baljinder, a fifth-generation Indian resident in Hong Kong, heads an organisation that promotes racial diversity.

The district – home to bars, brothels and nightclubs but also business and cultural venues – has been targeted for art and creative development.