PLA garrison makes presence felt after years of living conspicuously

They rumbled into Hong Kong on July 1, 1997. Military vehicles full of soldiers reclaiming a territory that hadn't been theirs for over a century. Since then, the People's Liberation Army has largely been a symbol of Hong Kong's return to China. But of late it appears to have been flexing its muscles in the city.

This year, live-fire exercises in Hong Kong have been broadcast on the state television network CCTV, and two officers from the garrison were promoted to the rank of general.

Many Hongkongers have long been wary of the army's presence, with the Tiananmen massacre in 1989 imprinted on the collective memory. But the concerns go both ways.

The military leadership worry that Hong Kong's capitalist charms could seduce the soldiers, and distract them from disciplined military life. An estimated 6,000 soldiers are based at the 18 barracks around Hong Kong. A typical soldier has 45 to 60 days of paid leave a year, and their spouses and children are able to visit the city for up to 60 days a year.

A typical day might look something like this: up at 6am; 20 minutes for breakfast, then training and drills or time at their work stations; lunch followed by a mandatory two-hour nap at 2pm; laundry and evening duties, before lights out at 10pm.

Officers are only stationed in Hong Kong for one year and are not allowed to mingle with the general public, aside from on special occasions.