Years Like a Song, an Eason Chan classic that may reflect the mood of Hong Kongers best today, or at least for those who are hopping on a flight to leave the city for emigration or seeking refuge for a while. A few lines in the song are very popular: Even if the weather is not as expected/If you must leave/You still fly nevertheless.

This song is one of my favourites. It was the theme song of a TV series. Nonetheless, my feelings have changed over time during the various stages of life. At the time of its first release, when I heard this song, I had imagined a vacation out of Hong Kong. A few years ago, when I was studying in London, this song reminded me of an exile. Living in other places meant sacrificing the life I had in Hong Kong.

Sunny Cheung, a political activist, has announced his exile just this week. He’s only one of the innumerous activists who had to escape from Hong Kong owing to the threat to one’s safety. I would say this is considered the “official” exile. Another form of exile is emigration to other countries. These Hong Kongers haven’t forfeited their right to enter the city again; however, they do not treat this city as their base anymore. For most of them, this is not a decision up to them. Therefore, I won’t call it a choice. It’s just something like Sophie’s Choice.

Recently, I am doing a theatre piece with a story set in 1980-90s. When researching the popular songs in that period, a surprisingly high proportion of the songs were about the farewell owing to emigration. The duo Tat Ming Pair’s Today Should be a Happy Day is the most outstanding. The content like “You’re calling from other countries/places” and “Reunion is someday far away from now” is commonly found.

Many Hong Kongers aspire to the collapse of the Chinese Government in the near future; therefore, the liberation of Hong Kong can be realized. However, will it arrive this soon? One of the features of the corrupt Governments in Chinese history is they can live a long time before their breakdowns. Qing dynasty fell into shambles almost 70years after the Opium Wars.

Some say it’s an age of acceleration, and so the history won’t repeat itself. No one is sure about the future, I know. As long as Hong Kong is not liberated within 30 years, you still have to consider your course of life. If you’re now 20-something, Hong Kong will be liberated when you turn 50. How would you plan your path?

In the foreseeable future, more and more people would bid us farewell on account of the official or not-so-official exile. The parents of many of them escaped from the rule of the Communists. And here, the next generation of refugees from mainland China has to flee again. Our home is going to be destroyed time and again.

The last lines of Today Should be a Happy Day are: Today should be a happy day/ Today should be very warm/Only if we are willing to imagine we’re still together. Imagination is connection. It’s something we deserve.

(Pat To Yan, Active in Hong Kong and German Theatre. Playwright, Director, Lecturer. Elected Council Member and the Chairman of the committee of Literary Art of Hong Kong Arts Development Council.)

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