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The handover in 1997 saw Hong Kong's transition from colonial to communist rule under the auspices of 'one country, two systems'. But twenty years on, the real impact of the sovereignty change is just starting to register, with a rapid erosion of freedoms. Believing that we are stronger together, PEN Hong Kong invited some of the city's most prominent writers to contribute to an anthology of essays, fiction and artwork that marks this historical milestone.

The Peak is Hong Kong's top residential district, where property prices are as high as the altitude. How did it become an exclusive enclave in the business center of 19th-century Asia? The British wanted relief from summer heat and the Peak was the obvious place to escape it. The Governor adopted Mountain Lodge as a summer getaway, and the Peak Tram made access easier. This book describes the popular tourist area then and now.

Jack Leblanc shares the lessons he has learnt in 20 years of doing business in China. His career has included stints as a salesman, dotcom entrepreneur, venture capital broker, business consultant, and finally cross-cultural troubleshooter, solving problems between foreign investors and their Chinese counterparts. Each chapter is written in story form and covers a situation that investors are likely to face: for instance, disputes over intellectual property, staffing, or localized corruption. Practical and entertaining.

In this joyful travel sketchbook, Hong Kong is captured through the hearts of a writer and an artist. From the winding, incense-filled streets of Sheung Wan to the pandemonium of a wet market in North Point to the sleepy island backwater of Tai O, Lena Sin and Nicholas Tay take you on a wonder-filled journey that shines a light on the softer, more romantic side of this chaotic city. Filled with tales of growing up in Hong Kong, Lena weaves personal anecdotes and conversations with locals with richly-illustrated watercolours and photographs by herself and artist husband Nicholas. The result is an intimate portrait of a city that is at once vibrant and energetic as well as charming and nostalgic.

Reminiscences and recipes of favorite international dishes from households, restaurants and back lanes which you can enjoy today in Hong Kong, that classy old gal who will forever reign as the Queen of Cuisine for all who knew her when she was the jewel of the British Empire. Fred Schneiter shares a nostalgic romp back into that less hurried era - and the tantalizing cuisines and tempting cookpot scents of that cozy time await you here.

This collection of 36 essays examines some of the pressing social, cultural and existential issues facing Hong Kong. It takes us from the gravity-defying property market to the plunging depths of old age poverty, from urban streets to traffic-free islands, from the culture-shocked Western expat to the misunderstood Mainland Chinese and the disenfranchised domestic worker. The result is a treatise on modern Asian life that is thought-provoking, touching and immensely entertaining.

Robert Wang fled the Chinese civil war as a child and came to Hong Kong with nothing. It was a harsh place in the 1950s but he was determined to rise to the top. With the 1997 handover to China approaching, and no one knowing what the end of British rule would bring, Robert hatched an audacious scheme to safeguard the fortunes of Hong Kong's richest tycoons -- but swimming with sharks has its dangers.

Learn Chinese the natural way - from a Norwegian! Join Cantonese fundamentalist Cecilie Gamst Berg as she journeys through the non-stop surrealism that is today's China. Traveling by camel, sleeper bus and train across the deserts of Xinjiang, through the backwoods of Tibet, over the mountains of Sichuan to the outlying islands of Hong Kong, Cecilie shows how China is not only the fastest-changing place on earth, but also the most fun.

Why does the issue of Tibet rouse such passions on both sides? To find out, Annelie Rozeboom interviewed Tibetans inside and outside Tibet, as well as Chinese and Western observers and the Dalai Lama himself. As these people explain their experiences, the reader sees why they think the way they do, and why the Tibetans and Chinese have taken such opposing positions. A collection of very different viewpoints which look at Tibet from all angles.

There is a darkness in men's hearts that war sets free. When their war is over, they bring that darkness back home with them. It's a short trail from the jungles of Vietnam to the forests of the Appalachian Mountains. A complex tale involves a journey back to Vietnam and into the dark past: a past where Clausewitz, the philosopher of war, meets de Sade, the philosopher of man's own individual evil.

What kind of people would you meet if you decided to walk across the world's most populous country? The Great Walk of China is a journey into China's heartland, away from its surging coastal cities. Through surprisingly frank conversations with the people he meets along the way, the Chinese-speaking author paints a portrait of a nation struggling to come to terms with its newfound identity and its place in the world.

Even four decades after the passing of Asian martial-arts superstar Bruce Lee, his achievements still attract adoration from millions of movie fans. The biggest fan of all may be Jon Benn, who befriended the high-kicking hero while playing "the Big Boss," a villain in Lee's 1972 movie, The Way of the Dragon. In this tell-tale autobiography, Jon reminisces fondly about his experiences with Lee and a lifetime of other adventures. Much has happened to Jon for the sake of appearing in movies.

Hong Kong is famous for its vibrant, busy street scene. This book introduces us to two dozen real people who provide its outdoor color. Here you'll meet a flower seller, a street musician, and a tram driver; a bouncer, a shoe shiner, and a gas canister delivery man; a tailor's tout and a lifeguard; one man who makes a living climbing bamboo scaffolding, and a woman who ferries visitors around the harbor on a sampan. Portrait photography by Michael Perini illustrates each engaging life story.

Hong Kong is a city where limousines outnumber taxis, partygoers count down to Christmas every December 24, and giant billboards of fortune tellers and cram school tutors compete with breathtaking skylines. This collection of essays zeroes in on the city's idiosyncrasies with deadpan precision. An outsider looking in and an insider looking out, Jason Y. Ng has created a travel journal for the tourist and a user's manual for the wide-eyed expat.

In 2010, bookish 22-year-old Shannon Young follows her Eurasian boyfriend to Hong Kong, eager to forge a new love story in his hometown. But when work sends him to London a month later, Shannon embarks on a wide-eyed newcomer''s journey through Hong Kong -- alone. She teaches in a local school as the only foreigner, explores Asia with other young expats and discovers family history in Hong Kong, all while trying to hold on to her thwarted romance. The city enchants her, forcing her to question her plans. Soon, she must make a choice between her new life and the love that first brought her to Asia.

This text provides the building blocks of this religion for which even the Chinese have no name. The beliefs are so intertwined with language and culture they have no independent existence. Chamberlain also provides an in-depth analysis of 19 major gods of the Chinese pantheon.