Dear Editor,

I especially like your article, "A decade to remember"--a closer look at what has changed and what has not, on the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China" in your June 21, 2007 issue. It is very well written, informative and gives us a comprehensive look of the 10-year-old HKSAR. I am also impressed with the author's balanced way of writing the story, interviewing a wide range of people with different ranks, from Chief Executive Donald Tsang to ordinary fishery businessman Wong Yim Fat, talking about hopes and at the same time worries. These vivid quotes give us a true feeling of what life in Hong Kong is like. I like the ending a lot: "At least here's one thing he can be sure about: the bay will always be called the Victoria Bay." It is a perfect echo of the "one country, two systems" success.

I stayed in Hong Kong for three days almost a year ago and really enjoyed my time there. The first impression I had of Hong Kong when I stepped off the plane after flying 16 hours from San Francisco was that the former was far cleaner. The second was that people there were kind and polite, ready to help people in need. When I told the bus driver that I'd taken the wrong direction, he said, "Don't pay." The third was that people there respect order and things work on time. Even as a stranger, you feel at ease in Hong Kong and you want to come back again for its beauty, both physically and spiritually. Let us hope sincerely that the pearl of China will keep shining forever more.

Jing Zhang

Hangzhou, China

July 4, 2007