I recently recalled the famous opening line in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” This seemingly contradictory statement referred to life in Paris and London at the time of the 1789 French Revolution, with life in each city being compared to the other. Now, at a time when Britain is offering residency to Hong Kong people, it struck me that such comparisons could equally apply to life in Hong Kong and the UK, especially over the past few turbulent years.
To call it the worst of times would be a gross exaggeration, but life has certainly been tested of late. Political distrust, angry protesters, and the economic, social and mental impact of severe COVID-19 rules have all taken their toll. As I’m sure you realize, I’m referring here to the United Kingdom, but of course it’s been a similar experience in Hong Kong. Like in Dickens’ tale of two cities, such similarities and also differences between each location can be viewed more clearly through comparison with the other.
For those Hong Kong people who are tempted to take up the offer of UK residency, my advice is to consider the pros and cons of each place very carefully before making a commitment. Perception and reality are often very different, and it’s always essential to be in full possession of the facts before committing to such a major upheaval.
Even with something as basic as the weather, reality can come as a bit of a shock to the average Hong Kong person. Arriving in Britain in the height of summer, they will instantly feel relief at escaping the intense heat and humidity of Hong Kong. However, the euphoria of experiencing cooler temperatures and long, sunny evenings will usually be short-lived as one of two weather scenarios inevitably occurs. Either the sunshine is replaced by gray skies and rain, or with global warming, there is the opposite problem of hot, sleepless nights without any ceiling fans or air conditioning. It’s the same ambivalent story in a British winter, with the delights of beautiful snow-covered vistas being diminished by the fact that the snow soon turns to slush and you’re miserably cold. Give me Christmas in Hong Kong any time.
It’s a similar story with the environment. Britain undoubtedly has its charms, especially when exchanging a cramped high-rise apartment in Hong Kong for more-spacious British accommodations. It’s also an appealing thought to have easy access to the tranquility and beauty of the English countryside, rolling green fields, leafy lanes, coastal pathways and quaint village pubs. However, the urban sprawl in which Hong Kong people invariably seem to settle is a million miles from this rural idyll. Even those fortunate enough to end up in one of the more-pleasant suburban or semi-rural areas will soon begin to miss the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, its tropical setting, and the juxtaposition of spectacular city and stunning country parks. So, as with the weather, the charms and deficiencies of each location are heightened through the prism of the other.
There is one area, however, where there is a clear winner, and that is public transport. If you have ever been to England and experienced the grubby London Underground, or found that the train journey you booked has been canceled, or waited hours for a rural bus service, or taken out a mortgage to pay for a taxi fare, you will know exactly what I mean. It’s a startling contrast to the streamlined, efficient, clean and cheap transport network that we all take for granted in Hong Kong. It’s also true that wherever you travel in Hong Kong, at whatever time of day or night, you feel completely safe and don’t need to worry about being mugged, abused or having to deal with groups of drunken or aggressive louts. Sadly, there are parts of the UK where this is not always the case.
They say that the past is a foreign country, but the reverse of this observation often seems to apply in Britain. Whereas Hong Kong is forward-looking, modern and in a perpetual state of development, life in Britain is much more rooted in the past. Thankfully, beautiful old buildings there are preserved rather than demolished, but the same can also be said of questionable ancient social hierarchies. The feudal system has gone, but the monarchy and aristocracy remain, along with a general sense of nostalgia that permeates Britain for good or ill. Appreciation of a country’s history is always something to be welcomed, giving context and perspective to the present. However, when appreciation turns into romanticized nostalgia, looking back to a nonexistent golden age, it can have a malign effect on society. Harking back to the British Empire and delusions of imperial grandeur certainly helped stoke Brexit rhetoric, leading to the abandonment of Britain’s huge economic, financial, social and political benefits of being in the European Union. Fortunately, such notions are completely alien in Hong Kong, where people are generally more focused on looking to the future rather than dwelling on an idealized past.
This focus on the future may also help to explain why Hong Kong is so different to the UK in one other respect. While it is certainly true that people are pretty much the same everywhere, you can’t help but notice a different work ethic when comparing the two locations. Hong Kong children are generally brought up to value education, to work hard, to respect their teachers, and to strive to maximize their future potential. This is also true of many British children, but in the UK, there are huge variations between schools, and a strong work ethic is by no means universal.
Similarly, when British politicians constantly refer to “hard-working” British people, I always assume they have never visited Hong Kong. In comparison with Britain, my experience in Hong Kong is that people work more efficiently, take fewer breaks, and are much more customer-focused. Strikes in Hong Kong are virtually unheard of, in vivid contrast to the UK, where nurses, ambulance drivers, railway workers, postal workers, teachers, lecturers and civil servants are all currently on or about to go on strike. In short, Hong Kong has more of a culture of service than one of entitlement.
Despite these different characteristics, both Britain and Hong Kong are good places to live, certainly compared with the London and Paris of the late 18th century, as portrayed by Dickens. For most people, experiencing “the best of times” is only possible when they feel at home in their environment and culture. Whether this is more likely to be the case in Hong Kong or the UK is the big question for those considering emigrating. As for “the worst of times”: In the UK it’s probably the weather; in Hong Kong it’s probably the brutal honesty you get when seeing friends again after visiting Britain and sampling the enormous pub meals: “Wah, you’re so fat now!”
The author is a British historian and former principal of Sha Tin College, Hong Kong.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.