Hong Kong Marks 20 Years After The Handover

HONG KONG, HONG KONG - JUNE 24: A man having a hair cut in the salon on June 24, 2017 in Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Hong Kong is marking 20 years since the territory was handed from Britain to China, after more than 150 years of British rule, as the handover on July 1, 1997, had been viewed with a mixture of uncertainty and hope. The territory's economy has seen benefits from the closer links to China since the handover although social and political tensions have been brewing over the last two decades. Hong Kongers have developed a stronger sense of local identity, which is also been defined by anti-mainland sentiments, and that led to the Umbrella protests of late 2014. Based on reports, Hong Kong's super-wealthy has enjoyed the benefits from the increased investment from the mainland, especially in property, although the huge influx of money from the mainland have raised the costs of living for most people in the city while its income inequality continue to rise. Students and young people have demonstrated that they seek for more democracy in Hong Kong and while China's president Xi Jinping travels to Hong Kong to mark the handover anniversary, his visit will be expected to be marked by noisy protests by pro-democracy activists. (Photo by Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images)