Much the same could be said of the rest of the book, which does a respectable enough job of Hong Kong's history in a small space but offers little that will be new to anyone who has read a book on the territory before.

CNN: The Never-Ending Story

Until 4 March, in the archive's exhibitive space, there's also an interactive display of films, photos, memorabilia and artefacts in a show called " The Wheel of Time", which chronicles a century of Hong Kong's film history.

BBC: The 100 must-see Hong Kong films

Recent history suggests that Hong Kong's continuing prosperity is a result not of luck but of its people's ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances without any need for government guidance.

ECONOMIST: Is Hong Kong ripe for a bit of central planning?

If history is any guide, the process will hurt, says Joseph Fan, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

ECONOMIST: Chinese family businesses