Now and Then: From the Millennium to the Anti-Extradition Movement

In this tumultuous era, amidst both turmoil and quietude, Pan Kwok-ling delves into the "present moment" to take readers back through Hong Kong's history, from the millennium to the anti-extradition bill protests. He "retraces" some of the paths our city has walked over the past two decades. The book revolves around social events, including major incidents such as SARS, conservation and localism, the anti-national education movement, the Umbrella Movement, and the anti-extradition bill movement. It also touches on smaller or different events, such as the anti-smoking campaign and the overnight felling of stone-wall trees. Each event is compelling on its own, but together they reveal the city's continuous evolution. Pan Kwok-ling's writing combines documentary, analysis, and commentary, infusing public subjects with personal touches. In a hasty era where amnesia is commonplace, Pan Kwok-ling, like a "reverse traveler," stirs memories and summons the past, gradually bringing us to the present. Reflecting on the past is not merely about nostalgia; it is about acknowledging and understanding the origins of events, for those who experienced them, those who forgot, and those who came after. "It Has Come to This" is a book that accumulates the city's moments in time, worthy of savoring by everyone who cares about Hong Kong.