Insights in Hong Kong

Family in Hong Kong reminds me a lot of family in the States. While some families are very close, others may not even speak on a regular basis. Tim, one of my local friends, was born in Hong Kong and all his family lives in the area with the exception of his father who works on the mainland and is gone with work for months at a time. Other students are close with their families, living at home during school and riding the train to CUHK everyday. The official divorce rate is Hong Kong is very high and is close to the US. I have also been told by professors and local students that men in Hong Kong often take one wife and another girlfriend. This trend is said to be decreasing but still exists.
Children are not expected to move out of the house at any particular time and often live under the same roof until marriage. This gracious attitude is also expected to be repaid when the parents become old and need a place to live. Construction of elderly homes is on the rise as Hong Kong continues to follow western culture. The elderly are given social security checks and can most often afford the cost of living in one of these institutions. This change of culture is a big debate in Hong Kong and is talked about often.
The political structure of Hong Kong is another hot topic, this one an international debate. With the handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China the collective eyes of the international community watch carefully. Hong Kong people love their freedom but are not citizens of a liberal democracy. Before the handover the British leaders helped Hong Kong to draft the Hong Kong Bill of Rights which was modeled closely after the US. Citizens and visitors are granted freedom of speech, right of peaceful assembly and a vote is some legislative elections. None of these rights exist is Mainland China and the process of implementation of democracy is a slow process which is not assured. People are very passionate here in Hong Kong about democracy. There are two sides to the debate: one side claims that voting and democracy are a universal right and should be granted while the other point of view closely resembles the saying "If it's not broke, don't fix it." Many people are perfectly happy to live in a society without full voting rights as long as the economy is booming and the GDP is growing. The debate will rage on until the fifty years of "One country, two systems" is over and one government is sovereign over Mainland as well as Hong Kong.
Christianity is a growing force is Hong Kong as well as the rest of China. As a former British colony, Hong Kong has many institutions bases on Christian values such as hospitals and schools with names dedicated to these values. On campus many fliers advertising Christian events and meetings are posted. Hong Kong allows freedom of religion and there is quite a mix. Many students are active Christians, wearing Christian t-shirts and attending services. I have also been invited to attend a Taoist service but have not yet attended. I have read a fair amount of Taoist philosophy so I am familiar with the general beliefs and I would find such a service quite interesting. I have not witnessed any heated religious debates and don't expect to see any during my time in Hong Kong.
Many excellent schools are located within Hong Kong and it is required that children attend the elementary and high school levels. About half of those who graduate high school go on to university. Hong Kong University and Chinese University of Hong Kong are both assessed to be in the top 50 worldwide in most rankings so the availability of excellent education is close. Some areas of Hong Kong are known for their excellent primary schools and because of this many wealthy individuals move into these areas for the benefit of their children. There are many highly educated people living in Hong Kong and the percentage doesn't look to be declining as more universities are gaining international recognition.
Considering the institutions I have observed I think that the overwhelming message is "Westernization in progress." The rights of those in Hong Kong far exceeds the rights of those on Mainland, the educational system is modeled after the British method and freedom of religion is practiced daily. Hong Kong people are in the process of dealing with remaining issues such as huge income inequality and reunification with Mainland. Hong Kong is working hard to become a liberal democracy founded in the western tradition while maintaining their Chinese heritage. This will be a difficult task on many fronts, but I believe they have made solid progress thus far.