The Lingering Banners of Hong Kong ‘National Day’

Abstract

AbstractWhat remains of a national day after it has passed? Weeks after it has ended banners celebrating China's ‘birthday’ on October first can still be seen all over Hong Kong. As government and pro‐China organizations hang up banners and flags all around Hong Kong, celebrating the birthday of the nation. These flags remind the people in Hong Kong that they are part of China, despite some thinking otherwise. I argue that these banners serve to 1. Remind people of Hong Kong's subordinate position within the nation state of China, 2. Show how the nation is performed, and 3. force the nation onto people as a forceful rather than a banal gesture. Drawing on theories of affect and space, ethnography, and photos taken by the author, this study adds to the theory and process of everyday nation‐making.