Anti-Mainlander Hong Kong Ad Parodied, Becomes Internet Meme

Mutual resentment between Hong Kongers and mainlanders is nothing new, and has been both long-standing and widespread. Many Hong Kongers look down upon mainlanders as being crude and uncivilized, while many mainlanders in return chafe at Hong Kongers’ arrogance and sense of superiority.

Last month, a video of Hong Kongers and mainlanders arguing on the Hong Kong subway circulated online. What began as mainlanders eating on the Hong Kong subway violating the subway’s rules immediately expanded to all sorts of resentments by both sides. Controversial Peking University professor Kong Qingdong’s subsequent public rant that “many Hong Kongers are dogs” only escalated things further.

Recently…

On Sina Weibo:

@港女廚房: A group of Hong Kong netizens donated money to print a full-page advertisement in today’s Apple Daily newspaper:

Translation of the above Hong Kong advertisement:

Do you want Hong Kong to spend $1,000,000 HKD every 18 minutes raising “double negative” children? [“double negative” refers to when neither parent is from Hong Kong.]

Hong Kong people have had enough!

• Because we understand that you are victimized by poisonous milk powder, we’ve tolerated you coming to panic buy milk powder;
• Because we understand that you have no freedom, we’ve welcome you to “travel freely” to Hong Kong;
• Because we understand that your education is backwards, we’ve shared our educational resources with you;
• Because we understand that you don’t read complete [traditional] Chinese characters, we’ve used crippled [simplified] Chinese characters below:
  “When coming to Hong Kong, please respect local culture, [because] if it weren’t for Hong Kong, you would all be doomed.”

Strongly demand that the government revise the Article 24 of Basic Law!
Stop mainland “double negative” pregnant women from limitless invasion of Hong Kong!

On Sina Weibo:

@叶落孤舟: “Had Enough! Collection” Ever since Hong Kong’s “Apple Daily” newspaper printed the [locust] advertisement, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen netizens have one after another posted images in response, and soon various major cities one after another also expressed their unwillingness to be left out… Tianjin version / Chengdu version / Chongqing version / Xiamen version / American version, then a Naruto version, a time travel version, and finally a dove version!! Netizens are such geniuses!! (Images from the internet)

Translation of the above parody:

Do you want Beijing’s migrant population to continue increasing?

Beijingers won’t tolerate it anymore! [have had enough!]

• Beijing has already accommodated 20 million migrants.
• Beijing has already accepted 478 thousand children that came along.

But!
You still ruin Beijing’s culture, disturb Beijing’s order, push up Beijing property prices, have too many children who then take their gaokao collect examinations here, eat Beijing’s food and drink Beijing’s water and still curse Beijing as worthless. So please do us a favor, Go build up your hometown first, then come build up Beijing.

Strongly demand that the government revise the law!

Stop the endless influx of migrants into Beijing!

Translation of the above parody (which was written in Shanghainese dialect):

Do you want to spend 4 billion RMB every year subsidizing the migrant population?

Shanghainese can’t take it anymore! [have had enough!]

• Because you’ve come to make money, we’ve accommodated 17,566,700 migrants;
• Because you’ve come to establish a home, we’ve accepted 380,000 migrant children;
• Because you want to be filial to your parents, we’ve taken in 159,500 migrant seniors.

But!

• We have to put up with you ruining our culture;
• We have to put up with the accusations by your fellow villagers;
• We have to put up with the uncivilized behavior of your fellow villagers.

Strongly demand that the government revise the law!

Stop the endless influx of migrants into Shanghai!

Translation of the above parody:

Do you want to take out your wallet and spend another 990,000,000 yuan to foot the bill for the water company?

Guangzhou people have had enough!

• Because you wanted to speed up the city, we took out 700 million to build the BRT.
• Because you wanted to look new to welcome the Asian Games, we took out 300 million to foot the bill.
• Because you to do lighting projects, every year we have to take out 130 million.

Only except

• Some people take our money and eat, drink, and live large having us pay for it.
• Some people hold legislative hearings that then become price increasing hearings.
• Some people the moment they hear feasibility reports they begin passing the buck.

Strongly demand the government to amend the law!

Guangzhou people are not fish that anyone can do with as they please!

Translation of the above parody:

If you’ve come,
then you’re one of us [a Shenzhen person].

Shenzhen welcomes you!

• Because we’re all people who have left home, we welcome you;
• Because this is a circle that Grandpa Deng drew for all of us [as an SEZ], we welcome you;
• Because you the driving force behind Shenzhen’s development, Shenzhen welcomes you;
• Because you are the reason behind Shenzhen’s glorious 30 years, Shenzhen welcomes you;
• Because we want to tell all the people in the world, we’ve used “ying ge li shi” [English] below:
  Welcome to “Hometown Shenzhen”.

Warmly welcome everyone struggling to make a life for themselves to Shenzhen!

May all Shenzhen people a happy new year and all your wishes come true!

Note: Shenzhen is a young city whose population is all “migrant workers” from other parts of the country.

Translation of the above parody:

Do you want America to have 1 Chinese amongst 100 people to be their neighbor?

Americans have had enough!

• You have no democracy, we do, and so you come here?
• You have no freedom, we do, and so you come here?
• We have no corrupt officials, you do, and you will bring them with you!
• We have no corruption, you do, and you will bring it with you!

Strongly demand that the United States government reenact the Chinese Exclusion Act!

• You denigrate our culture, and yet you come to study our culture?
• You disparage our lifestyle, and yet you come to enjoy our lifestyle?
• You attack our export of universal values, and yet you build Confucius Institutes everywhere on United States campuses?

Think the United States isn’t good? Then go back to China!

From NetEase:

Hong Kong media prints full-page anti-mainland pregnant women advertisement

February 1st, a large “Hong Kongers have had enough!” advertisement appeared in a Hong Kong newspaper, expressing a position against mainlander pregnant women going to Hong Kong, as well as making fun of mainlanders as locusts, demanding that the authorities stop the “invasion”. A Hong Kong resident says this reflects some Hong Kongers’ views, especially certain local pregnant women who have been affected, but the metaphor used is extremely impolite, and doesn’t represent the majority of Hong Kongers.

Comments on NetEase:

网易北京市网友:

“If it weren’t for Hong Kong, you would be screwed” — Arrogance like this is breathtaking.

河北沧州人 [网易北京市网友]:

They’re right in their criticisms, because when there’s always some people who believe it is good there and do everything they can to go there, how can they not develop a superiority complex? Look at the content, it’s all a kind of despising and disdain. Sigh, the belief of our country’s people is to squeeze themselves into wherever they think is good. Where’s the ambition? If you’re worth anything, then first build up your current home, and one day, they will do everything they can to come here. Then, we can post this kind of advertisement, and we’ll feel differently then.

网易广东省肇庆市网友:

If going to Hong Kong to give birth didn’t come with a Hong Kong birth certificate, I bet it would reduce the number of mainland pregnant women going to Hong Kong to give birth by 99.9%!

ddcat0228 [网易北京市网友]:

As a Chinese person, very ashamed~

风流大河蟹 [网易浙江省宁波市网友]:

Some Hong Kongers are simply dogs, support Professor Kong.

我有我感受 [网易广东省东莞市网友]:

The mentality of Hong Kongers is already nearing perverse. First, after returning [to China], the central government had sought to change the law, but it was the Hong Kongers’ Legislative Council who unanimously sought so-called democracy and freedom, to let people who didn’t have Hong Kong parents to obtain Hong Kong residency rights. Hong Kong delivery rooms are about to go bankrupt. Several years ago, the former Chief Executive even said again that Hong Kong’s birth rates keep dropping and encouraged mainlanders to compensate. Well then, now there are more and more mainlanders, where the number of mainland children being born in Hong Kong are even more than Hong Kongers. Now Hong Kongers want to blame us, saying we’re coming to steal their resources, that we’re locusts, haha, fuck, what is going on? Now you think there are too many mainlanders, right? Well, that’s because your government doesn’t know how to regulate, how is it mainlanders’ fault? Ask your Legislative Council, what’s wrong with you Hong Kong people? The power has always been in your hands, so go change the law, stop pretending.

凌波伊布 [网易福建省厦门市网友]:

First: “Please respect local culture.” This indeed should be the case. Just like if you went to live temporarily in someone’s home, you have to live in accordance with the host’s living habits, rather than having them accommodating you! Second: “If it weren’t for Hong Kong, you’d all be screwed.” To the person who expresses this kind of opinion, I only want to say that without people like you, our country would still slowly but steadily become strong and powerful!

网易上海市手机网友:

The problem needs both sides to work together to solve. Even if one side wins the argument, it’s useless. If there’s a problem, put it on the table and let everyone think of a solution. Mutually yelling at each other only shows that people have different positions because of different perspectives and points of view. Wouldn’t it be better to work together as one to solve the problem? Why waste time like this?!

网易广西桂林市手机网友:

Because we understand you got rich first, we’ve tolerated you coming to the mainland to invest, having us work like animals for you, and letting you curse us as “northerners”; Because we understand you lack affection [for us], we’ve chosen to use less in order to give you more help; Because we understand you don’t know where you’re from, we try to tell you who is good and who is evil; Because we understand you are very realistic, we won’t beat around the bush when telling you: “Hong Kongers, if you didn’t have us, you guys would be nothing!

网易广东省手机网友:

What does Hong Kong owe you? To say something fair, Hong Kong’s success today is mostly because of British rule! Could China have done it?

网易广东省手机网友:

I think the direction of the discussion is completely wrong. Mainlanders going to Hong Kong to have children is of course wrong. But who is wrong is definitely not the mainland, but the Hong Kong government’s inappropriate measures in response and the many profit-seeking clinics. Since Hong Kong has already provided this kind of channel, it can’t blame others for using it. What is even more wrong is this advertisement being so obvious in expanding the issue and directly pointing at all mainlanders, even using “crippled Chinese characters”, “locusts” and other attacks.

网易江苏省盐城市手机网友:

Kong Qingdong said it right, some Hong Kong people are simply dogs, simply bastards… you think you are so superior?? Ignorant… makes me laugh…

网易广西手机网友:

Who can appeal to the mainland public to boycott visiting Hong Kong? I’ll be the first to support it.

From NetEase:

Hong Kong cracks down on “double negative” pregnant women going to Hong Kong to give birth

According to a Ta Kung Pao report, Hong Kong is cracking down on “double negative” pregnant women [for whom neither parent is from Hong Kong] going to Hong Kong to give birth, launching large-scale inspections and enforcement activities, raiding “child-birthing apartments” specifically serving mainland pregnant women.

What do you think?