Chapter 76 What did "Freedom Travel" bring to you and me?

There is one thing, it is a thing, it is a saying, and it is also a practice. Later, it brought a lot of "benefits" to the people in the mainland and Hong Kong. This is the catchy "free travel" ( Hong Kong is also called "individual visit"). In 2002, Selina Chow, the "pervasive" chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, met the then Premier of the State Council Zhu Rongji in the Mainland. I said: "At that time, I had been thinking about this issue for a long time. I always felt that the tourism between the two places was very unequal, so I boldly proposed to the Prime Minister: 'Whenever Hong Kong people want to go to the mainland, they can go as soon as they say. It's very easy. It is convenient; but it is very difficult for mainlanders to come to Hong Kong to see us. Can the country open up a policy so that the majority of mainland compatriots can come to Hong Kong if they want to, so that we can have more tourists and income'. "

In order to travel to Hong Kong and thereby drive the entire Hong Kong economy, Mrs. Zhou "solicited customers" all over the country's prime minister. "What was the attitude of the Prime Minister at that time?" I asked. Mrs. Zhou said: "I'm very happy. The Prime Minister said 'yes' at that time. Of course, the country had already considered this issue at that time. There are many people in the Mainland. Once the policy is relaxed, Hong Kong's tourism will definitely have a huge development." On July 28, 2003, starting from this day, the mainland has successively approved the opening of "residents to travel to Hong Kong and Macau in their personal capacity" for 49 major cities in 16 provinces and cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Fujian. Among them, because Guangdong Province is the closest to Hong Kong, as of December 2006, 21 cities have opened to the public.

At the end of 2005, Hong Kong ushered in the 20 millionth visitor to Hong Kong, and Selina Chow went to the airport to greet her in person. This "20 million" number not only broke the historical record of Hong Kong in the past few years, but also a large proportion of them passed Mainlanders who came to Hong Kong on "free travel". In 2006, a total of 34.52 million outbound trips were made by mainland Chinese residents, many of whom were "preferred" destinations in Hong Kong, which must be related to "free travel". Because of the "free travel", mainlanders eat, live in Hong Kong, and spend a lot of money in Hong Kong. This kind of policy makes ordinary mainlanders no longer regard visiting Hong Kong as a luxury, and at the same time they are even more happy. Everyone in Hong Kong businessmen is always laughing, and they can't get together until today...

It goes without saying that people from the mainland brought Hong Kong popularity and helped Hong Kong's economy, but what did they gain through "free travel"?Satisfying the desire to "come and see" is the first, and carrying back the big and small bags is the second, so what about the third?Gain more spiritual things, these "things" include eye-opening, understanding, being inspired, educated, and even "stimulated". Let me first talk about the things that mainlanders feel good about in Hong Kong: At the beginning of 2006, four of my college classmates came to Hong Kong through "individual travel". Among them, only one came to Hong Kong for the first time, and the other three came to Hong Kong many times.When these women come to Hong Kong, they eat and drink, and shop. They are very generous wherever they go, which makes Hong Kong people dumbfounded.For example, once I was in an optical shop, because I had picked out a pair of glasses there in the past, and everyone thought they looked good, so I decided to let me guide them to have a look. I bought one pair, some people bought several pairs, and the most "glasses desire" was accidentally ignited, and finally bought 7 pairs in Hong Kong, and returned to the residence and put them on the bed. The white quilt was lined with 7 pairs of colorful large "Eyes" specially invited me to see it, and I was so scared that I didn't know whether I should congratulate her or reprimand her—"Shaobao".

"Since when did you mainlanders become so rich?" After they left, the little owner of the optical shop asked me (to pick up glasses for them), and I said, "Ah, are mainlanders richer than you Hong Kong people?" : "Of course, think about when we Hong Kong people buy things like this? People usually have to look at the items they have chosen several times. They will only pay out when the store has a discount." "Free travel" allows mainlanders to pose as "big money" in Hong Kong. This kind of "posture" is unappreciated in the mainland, but it frightens the locals in Hong Kong.Although I know that in fact, many mainlanders in Hong Kong only focus on consumption. They are not so "chic" at home, and there is no need to be so "ostentatious".

After citing the examples of mainlanders shopping happily in Hong Kong, I want to talk about "education", especially "stimulation". In my opinion, this kind of "stimulation" can only be enjoyed by "free travel". "Where do people on business trips go, everyone has status and status, and they have to make themselves appear as "a gentleman" as possible everywhere? In mid-September 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland opened, followed by the "Golden Tourism Week" of the 7-day "National Day" holiday in the Mainland. Therefore, many mainland tourists chose "October" to come to Hong Kong for "free travel".

In Hong Kong in October, the weather is still very hot, and everyone is sweating after having fun at "Disney" for a while. But it is also hot, Hong Kong people can stand it, mainlanders can't stand it, this is normal, but you mainlanders don't do anything in the civilized world of Hong Kong - some people are so hot that they find a bench and sit down Just take off your shoes, and quickly let your two big feet out to breathe and cool off. People in the mainland may not necessarily think that it is so uneducated. Public places are not airtight small rooms?But Hong Kong people can't stand it-so the "October" long holiday has not passed, and many newspapers in Hong Kong have published articles for many days accusing the mainlanders of "no public morals", "no education", "taking off their shoes in public" and "taking off their shoes everywhere". spitting", or even "a person occupying a bench and lying down to rest", "someone can't find a toilet for a while, just let the children defecate everywhere", alas, Hong Kong people can't accept these things...

Facing the overwhelming "mai tai", I read newspapers every day, and I feel bad every day, but what can I do?Isn't it true that the number of people in Hong Kong is low? If there is no "free travel", if ordinary people in one society do not go to meet and collide with ordinary people in another society, people may never know that everything is "compared" and the impression is more profound. A few times when I went home, I didn’t know who to get angry with, and I kept saying to my husband: “Hmph, why are Hong Kong people so arrogant? It seems that they themselves have just stepped out of backwardness and ignorance? Oh, nothing else. Say, just seeing mainlanders come to Hong Kong to spread virtue, why don’t they see how many mainlanders come to Hong Kong to consume and how much benefit it brings to Hong Kong society?”

My husband didn't add weight to me, on the contrary he was very sensible: "Hey, 'bridges return to bridges, roads return to roads', don't put the two things together, so that if you yell outside, you will look more 'protective'? Petty!" I understand that what my husband reminded me is reasonable. Civilization and contribution are different things on two levels.In fact, even if Hong Kong people don't scold the "quality" of mainland tourists, I often complain in my circle of friends that they "disgrace everyone"! It has been ten years since Hong Kong returned to the motherland, and the exchanges between people from the two places have become more and more frequent. During this process, people are bound to influence each other and have friction with each other, but the essence is that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The mentality of "hating iron but not steel" is not only mine, but Hong Kong people must treat themselves There are also many, but in different aspects and levels...