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In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Hong Kong resident Ada Wong, along with more than 20 friends, began erecting five-star red flags at Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Kam tin in the New Territories of Hong Kong.
By around 7:00 a.m. local time when they finished their work, several dozen red flags were put up and were fluttering in the wind.
"We want to make our contributions to celebrating the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland," Wong said excitedly, noting that she and her friends had made such a plan more than 10 days ago and they also won wide support from their communities.
On the night of June 30 when they heard of the news that the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) came into force in Hong Kong, they carried out their plan to mark the special day.
Just like Wong and her friends, many other Hong Kong residents also joined the celebrations in various forms spontaneously, expressing the belief that the enactment of the national security law for the HKSAR will help to bring Hong Kong on the right track and make the "Pearl of the Orient" shine again.
People watch a parade to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)
At around 8:30 a.m. local time, banners reading "celebrations on Hong Kong's return and national security legislation for Hong Kong" were seen at the Central Ferry Pier 9, where several hundred Hong Kong residents gathered, some of whom were waving China's national flags and Hong Kong's regional flags.
Hon Yeung Kwong and his friends rented a boat at the pier, planning to sail to outlying islands, waving national and regional flags all along the voyage, and cheering up for the promulgation and enactment of the new law.
"I was looking forward to it (the promulgation of the law) and so were a lot of others," Hon told Xinhua.
He used to view Hong Kong as one of the most livable places in the world, where residents could purchase almost any goods and enjoy visa-free travel to lots of other countries.
However, Hon said that over the past year Hong Kong has been plagued by chaos triggered by rioters, who are disgusted by local communities.
Hon's daughter and son-in-law, who used to stand neutral politically, switched swiftly their stance when seeing rioters turn to the so-called "burn with us" tactics.
"The national security law in Hong Kong is a quick cure," he said.
At around 9:00 a.m., celebrities Cheung Ming-man and Kenneth Fok Kai-kong showed up at the pier, where they joined other residents singing China's national anthem with musical accompaniment.
A ship carrying the slogan of "celebrating the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland" sails at the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)
"The national security law in Hong Kong soothes our concerns," said Cheung, a popular singer, adding that the promulgation of the law coincided with the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and thus added significance to the day. He believed that Hong Kong's history would be ushered into a new era from the day.
Yu Kwong Ching, another Hong Kong resident, said after years of living in Hong Kong, he was accustomed to peaceful life. Social unrest over the past year upset Yu, who believed that the promulgation of the national security law for Hong Kong would be able to deter rioters, protect residents and help restore peaceful life.
The Friends of Hong Kong Association Limited set up a stand at Wan Chai on Wednesday to collect people's signatures supporting the national security law for the HKSAR.
At around noon, a Hong Kong resident came out of the Wan Chai metro station and saw the stand. He approached the stand and signed "Wan Hon Pong supports the law."
"With the implementation of the national security law, Hong Kong will go back to normal and have stability again," Wan said. With the law, people in Hong Kong will no longer be afraid of being blocked while going out, or being attacked after expressing different opinions, he added.
"Of course, now we have a law to follow. The law enforcement should be strict as well," he said.
Henry Tang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, also appeared at the stand to express his support.
"I'm so happy to see the official launch of the national security law for the HKSAR," he said. "All of us are also happy to see a peaceful society coming back again in recent days. I hope every Hong Kong resident can grasp this opportunity to help Hong Kong to start anew, and work hard together to create a bright future for Hong Kong."
