As we mark Easter, Hong Kong would also welcome the hope of renewal
- The city has come a long way from the darkest days of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022. But the needed recovery remains challenging
Two years ago, Hong Kong residents made the most of Easter Sunday by flocking to outlying islands, parks and shopping malls, in anticipation of social-distancing rules being eased.
The deadly “fifth wave” of Covid-19 cases which engulfed the city in early 2022 had relented and the first rays of light at the end of the tunnel could be glimpsed. Last year, Hong Kong enjoyed its first Easter free of pandemic-era restrictions, with borders open.
But the Easter message of new life and hope remains as meaningful as ever as the city continues its long recovery, aiming to improve the economy and rebuild its international brand.
Many residents have chosen to spend this Easter on the mainland or overseas. There was a dash for the border on Good Friday as more than 681,000 departed.
The trend for Hong Kong people to spend public holidays elsewhere continues to be a worry for local businesses, especially those in the catering and retail sectors. One representative of the restaurant industry spoke of the city being “hollowed out” this weekend.
Hong Kong malls offer free parking as 412,000 people leave city for Easter break
A variety of activities are available for those who have remained. Easter has fallen early this year and coincides with the climax of “Art March” with its many cultural events.
Among the art installations brightening up the city are, appropriately, 200 glowing giant egg-shaped objects, on display in and around the harbour. Works by Van Gogh are being projected onto the Tsim Sha Tsui clock tower.
More traditional Easter activities have not been forgotten. An egg hunt on the beach at Discovery Bay, complete with a bouncy castle and game booths, is popular. And an Easter bunny will be posing for selfies in Wan Chai.
Some people take their passion for the festival to extremes. An 88-year-old woman here in England even had her hair dyed to look like a Cadbury’s cream egg, complete with the company’s logo.
But amid all the Easter revelry, the deeper meaning of the Christian religious festival is often lost. Christians mark the crucifixion of Christ on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Traditionally, Easter is preceded by Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and prayer.
Easter, coinciding with the onset of spring, is therefore a time for rebirth and renewal. The word itself is believed to have derived from the Latin for “dawn”. The eggs we consume symbolise new life.
Christian leaders have taken the opportunity to convey their Easter messages in the context of current affairs.
Pope Francis issued an appeal for peace at the end of Palm Sunday Mass at the Vatican, offering prayers for those suffering amid war in Gaza and Ukraine as well as victims of the recent terror attack in Moscow.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, in the UK, warned that “we cannot allow despair to poison our outlook on the world” at a time of “terrible conflict and danger”.
In Hong Kong, Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan referred to a Chinese idiom when delivering a call for unity and perseverance when facing “a world deeply hurt by self-righteous ideologies and wars with widened ripple effects, or a weakened local economy that is struggling to recover, or some dominant socio-political narratives that do not seem at all hope-yielding”.
Chow said in such circumstances we can pull together while being open to surprises. “Never underestimate the power of sharing meagre resources with goodwill and hope,” he said.
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While expressed in the context of the Christian religion, the messages will resonate with those who are not religious or belong to other faiths. The world, beset by war, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, could certainly do with more hope, peace and reconciliation.
Hong Kong has come a long way from the darkest days of the pandemic in 2022. But the recovery remains challenging. After enduring civil unrest, the pandemic and a focus on national security, the city is looking to start a new chapter. Amid all the fun of Easter, an opportunity for renewal and resurrection would be welcome.
