30 Years Later

"Did you enjoy it?" A friend asked me as we were on our way home after watching the Grand Variety Show to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's rejoining the motherland. I had some light refreshments and some handshaking before the 105-minute show of sounds and sights. "I couldn't smell any aroma in the Show, featuring the Fragrant Harbour."

"Hong Kong" is so well-known as a place to do business that the Cantonese sound "hong" does not inspire people to get emotionally connected with "fragrance" anymore. "Thus, there's the need for Hongkongers to re-brand Hong Kong to live up to its name!" I have been asking the question and doing whatever I can in that direction.

While stakeholders are not slow to recognize and seize mainland China's "Belt & Road" business opportunities, Hongkongers should capitalize on our "Fragrant Harbour". We can uplift ourselves in the innovation, marketing and intellectual property aspects to expand the scent businesses and markets. Any related decisions cannot be bad as they should contribute to Hong Kong's economic, social, cultural, and possibly political, development.

When I was with the Government, I started up a scent-focused "Fragrant Harbour" seasonal programme to align value, build capacity and support. As an entrepreneur now, I am trying again with other like-minded entrepreneurs to deal with the unfinished business. I have a dream that Hong Kong would become literally and figuratively fragrant as it celebrates itself as a value centre for all - 30 years later!