This book tells the story of 24 foreigners who are long-term residents of Hong Kong. Their lives have been closely connected with those of their Chinese neighbours. Some were born and raised here, others came to seek opportunities for work and study, and some because they were forced to flee their homeland and start a new life. No matter what brought them here, they have dedicated themselves to Hong Kong and made an important contribution to society. Hong Kong gave them an opportunity to change their destiny, and it has become their second home.

 

 

　　Mark O’Neill was born in London and educated at New College, Oxford University. Mark has worked in Asia since 1978, in Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, China and Japan, for the BBC, Reuters, the South China Morning Post and other media. He has written nine books: Tzu Chi — Serving with Compassion; Frederick, the Life of My Missionary Grandfather in Manchuria; The Chinese Labour Corps; From the Tsar’s Railway to the Red Army; The Second Tang Dynasty — The 12 Sons of Fragrant Mountain Who Changed China; The Miraculous History of China’s Two Palace Museums; Ireland's Imperial Mandarin: How Sir Robert Hart Become the Most Influential Foreigner in Qing China; Israel and China: From the Tang Dynasty to Silicon Wadi and this one. Five have Chinese editions, both traditional and simplified, as well as English. He lived in Beijing and Shanghai for more than 16 years. Now he works as an author, journalist and teacher, based in Hong Kong. He speaks and writes Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), French and Japanese.