It’s no secret that people from Hong Kong see themselves as separate from the people of mainland China, even though the independently-administered city is meant to be absorbed fully by China in 2047. Last year’s so-called “Umbrella Movement” made that clear in the eyes of the rest of the world as well.
Hong Kongers, who sometimes refer to themselves as Hongkies, are proud of the differences between their lifestyles and habits and those of the mainland Chinese, and visiting mainlanders are often held up in Hong Kong for displaying what are considered poor manners.
Hong Kong design studio Local Studio has decided to sum up some of the differences between Mainland China and Hong Kong in a series of illustrations which, according to the website Shanghaiist, has gone viral. Titled “Hong Kong is not China”, and reminiscent of the the popular Paris vs New York tumblr (now a book), the illustrations juxtapose iconic elements of the two cultures to highlight the differences.
Some of the images are straightforward and factual, and while critical of the lack of freedom of speech in China, it is hard to argue that they don’t depict the reality of government and media in China and Hong Kong.
Other illustrations, however, attack Chinese products and habits—reflecting a series of stereotypes that do little to dispel Hong Kongers’ reputation on the mainland as snobbish.
Some of the metaphoric images could be considered downright offensive.
There is one thing, however, the authors of the campaign believe they have in common with mainland China (and presumably, they are not happy about it):
