On June 30, 1997, as Hong Kong was about to officially return to China’s embrace, it started to drizzle in Hong Kong.
A day earlier, Gan Guoyang had flown directly from Las Vegas to Hong Kong. As a member of the return ceremony observation group, he was invited to attend the return ceremony.
In an era when international exchanges were still relatively closed, Gan Guoyang was like a beam of light, a window to the outside world, making the greatest contribution an athlete could to China’s integration into the world.
He appeared twice on the cover of Time magazine, was listed in major "Most Famous Chinese People" selections, and was designated as an image ambassador by the top leaders.
However, in the face of this historic event, Gan Guoyang seemed much smaller. After arriving in Hong Kong, he quietly checked into his hotel and stayed in his room without venturing out.
He clearly understood that he was not the protagonist but a spectator, a witness to history. What he needed to do was to sit obediently in his seat and become a not very conspicuous, but also worth a drop of ink, dot on the historical scroll.
However, others didn’t seem to think so. Gan Guoyang’s arrival still brought a frenzy of attention from the Hong Kong media.
From the airport to the hotel, there were paparazzi following him all the way. After reaching his room, the phone kept ringing with various invitations pouring in.
Gan Guoyang didn’t bring his wife and children, only a team of bodyguards and his younger brother, Gan Guohui. He was the only one genuinely invited.
Gan Guohui first called home to report the situation, then rejected various invitations, meetings, and other such requests, one by one.
"Brother, the Striving Association has a special reception event in Hong Kong tomorrow. The person in charge just called. Do you want to attend?"
"Let’s not go. If we’re not going to any, let’s skip them all. I’ll donate another sum to them next month in the name of my daughter."
"Got it."
At this moment, Gan Guoyang took off his shirt, supporting himself on the bed with only his hands to exercise his shoulder, upper limb strength, core strength, and balance.
Even coming to Hong Kong to observe the ceremony, he didn’t forget to train his body constantly, filled with anticipation for the 1997-1998 season.
The TV was showing the farewell ceremony of the British leaving Hong Kong. On the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion, the last Governor of Hong Kong, Peng Dingkang, attended the British Union Jack flag-lowering ceremony with his three daughters.
In the footage, he lowered his head and took the descending flag from an officer’s hand, symbolizing the end of Hong Kong’s colonial era.
By afternoon six o’clock, the rain became heavier. Peng Dingkang and Prince Charles, along with the British Prime Minister, participated in a larger withdrawal ceremony on an open-air stage.
Due to the weather and the outdoor conduct of the ceremony, the British delegation appeared somewhat awkward.
On China’s side, Gan Guoyang received notice that the return ceremony would be held tomorrow in the newly constructed hall of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
As a participant, a minor role, all Gan Guoyang needed to do was to show up, sit down, and applaud, without worrying about anything else.
His mind was more preoccupied with the free agency matters; on July 1st, American time on the night of June 30th, the 1997-1998 season’s free agency would officially open.
This summer, the Trail Blazers management promised Gan Guoyang that they would actively reinforce and improve the team’s inside and outside lines.
In the 1997 season, they wasted Gan Guoyang’s peak state, but Gan Guoyang wasn’t too concerned since choosing Kobe and Little O’Neal was his decision.
These two, along with Ben Wallace, these three young people, Gan Guoyang explicitly stated he wanted to keep them as reserve core forces and nurture them well.
The Trail Blazers’ management turned their sights to those veteran players who hadn’t won a championship, and they might be willing to come to Portland for a ring.
By around 10 PM on June 30th, Gan Guoyang set off for the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, where the return handover ceremony would take place at midnight on July 1st.
By around 11 PM, as one of the more than 4,000 guests present, Gan Guoyang, after passing security checks, was guided by staff to his seat.
Among these over 4,000 guests, Gan Guoyang wasn’t the most high-ranking in terms of authority, but he was certainly the tallest and most well-known. Few could match his fame, except for the United Nations Secretary-General Annan and a few renowned dignitaries.
As soon as he appeared, Gan Guoyang’s height and his face naturally became the focus of the entire scene, with TV cameras frequently focusing on him.
Hong Kong TV Station repeatedly cut to shots of Gan Guoyang, and even CCTV, which always emphasized politics and the big picture, gave this athlete a close-up.
This is the most familiar athlete face to Chinese people, known nationwide since the early 80s, before televisions were widespread, representing national confidence in the 80s and 90s.
In an open era, at a time when people’s confidence in China was under severe questioning and challenge, Gan Guoyang was a radiant totem, a pillar of belief. This was the reason he was invited to witness the celebration of a significant historical event like Hong Kong’s return.
Gan Guoyang tried to remain low-key, sitting quietly in his seat, shifting down a bit to avoid appearing too tall and conspicuous.
At 11:40 PM, the handover ceremony officially began, with honor guards from both sides entering the stage.
After the gun salute ended, Prince Charles took the stage as the British representative to speak and make the final farewell.
By 11:56 PM, three British soldiers and three People’s Liberation Army soldiers holding Chinese flags entered the venue and ascended the stage.
Following closely behind were three members of the Hong Kong Royal Police and three officers holding the Hong Kong Bauhinia district flag.