The images coming out of Hong Kong over the past month have been striking: millions of black-clad protesters marching through the streets and thousands of yellow-hatted demonstrators storming into government headquarters.
These protests have been about stopping a controversial extradition bill from taking effect. In previous years, residents have demonstrated over the right to pick their own leaders. The ultimate aim of all of this unrest, it seems, is to keep Hong Kong culturally and politically distinct from the rest of China. People taking to the streets are doing what they can to preserve the city’s unique way of life.
Here are some of the ways Hong Kong is different from mainland China:
It has a strong British influence
Hong Kong was a colony and territory of the United Kingdom for more than 150 years, until the British handed it back over to China on July 1, 1997. British influence is everywhere.