Picture of the Day: Blessed by a Lion

A red lion blessing one of the stalls in the wet market today

Kung fu groups are keeping busy through the 15 days celebrating the Lunar New Year. Their members perform lion dances for whoever wants their store, office building, shopping mall, apartment blocks to be blessed.

While the lions will be coming to my apartment building tomorrow afternoon, they were out in force in the nearby wet market today. I went to do my grocery shopping and heard the clash of the cymbals and drums.

On the second floor where fruits and vegetables are sold, a red lion was going stall by stall, performing the same ritual. It bows in front of the stall, then it opens its mouth and swallows the head of Chinese lettuce that's hanging from a hook with a lai see packet or blatantly, a HK$100 bill.

Meanwhile inside the guy is pocketing the money and then rips up the lettuce because after a short moment, the lion's eyes flutter, its ears move, and the it opens its mouth again and spits out bits of lettuce.

At the entrance, several lion heads are on display to add colour

Then it occurred to me -- are Chinese lions are vegetarian? Or they have a preference for lettuce...

Sang choi or raw lettuce sounds similar to "create wealth", and the wet market stall owners are hoping for a good Year of the Rooster.

And the way the economy is going, we're all hoping for financially better year, but we've been warned it's going to be a tough road ahead.

One can only hope a lion will bring luck our way...

Carrie Lam Officially in the Race

Carrie Lam unveils her slogan, "We Connect", but what does that mean?

This afternoon former Chief Secretary Carrie Lam ChengYuet-ngor officially threw her hat into the race to become the next Chief Executive of Hong Kong.

She made the announcement at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, and managed to round up a big support base that featured a number of tycoons, such as Peter Woo Kwong-ching, retired Wheelock and Wharf Holdings chairman, Stewart Leung Chi-kin, chairman of the Real Estate Developers Association's executive committee, businessman Allan Zeman, Lee Shau-kee, Henderson Land chairman, and Robert Kuok, founder of the Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.

So the developers must have been rubbing their hands with glee when hearing Lam promising to ease the housing issue with more land for homes.

Kan stands among some business heavyweights for a photo

Political heavy weights were there too, like Elsie Leung Oi-sie, vice-chairwoman of the Basic Law Committed of the National People's Congress, and Maria Tam Wai-chu, local deputy to the National People's Congress.

However, not a single pan-democrat was seen at the event.

On stage Lam ditched her usual serious demeanor and tried to look energetic, with a group of young people behind her, all of them wearing T-shirts that read: "We Connect". Connect to what? Certainly not the rest of us. Perhaps she means she connects with Beijing?

Lam tried to give a more down-to-earth picture of herself, talking about how she was raised in Wan Chai and remembers how her parents worked so hard so that they could afford a flat in Quarry Bay.

She got a few people to vouch for her, including elder son Jeremy, who flew down from Beijing for the event. At first he wasn't enthusiastic about his mother's political ambitions, but apparently has now turned around. Interesting her other son and husband didn't make any public endorsements.

In her speech she recalled how her family was so optimistic about the future, as if a hint to suggest she could bring back that positive attitude.

John Tsang seems more popular with average people

But how is she going to do that? She is not seen as a grassroots person -- taking a taxi in the middle of the night up to her former residence at The Peak because she didn't now where to buy toilet paper. And Lam didn't seem sympathetic when she represented the government during the 2014 Umbrella Protests when it had a meeting with the student leaders during a televised showdown.

Nevertheless, word on the street is that Lam is the favourite to win the election in March. But you never know -- one misstep and things could sway in favour of second favourite John Tsang Chun-wah. He appears to be the one the public favours for his easy-going attitude and seems to be more of a local guy despite going to school in the United States.

So has the race begin in earnest now? We the people who are unable to cast a ballot can only watch from the sidelines. With four candidates, it's already an interesting race.

Curious Observations About Xiao Jianhua

Xiao Jianhua had a preference for female bodyguards to protect him

There is now further development in the Xiao Jianhua story, with reports saying the 46-year-old billionaire is on the mainland "assisting investigations" into the stock market turmoil in 2015 and the case of a former top spy apparently.

But in the meantime there has been a lot of buzz about how he and many other uber wealthy mainlanders stay in the apartments at the Four Seasons Hong Kong. It is nicknamed "north-facing watchtower" by mainland businessmen and the media.

Some media outlets have reported that rich mainlanders trying to evade the law seek refuge in this hotel, where the presidential suite can set you back HK$78,000 (US$10,000) a night.

Xi Zhendong has been reported to stay at the Four Seasons

They apparently prefer this hotel because of its "timeless luxury" as well as its location, with the airport express downstairs and it is a short walk to the Shun Tak ferry terminal to Macau.

Some people were were believed to have stayed there include Xi Zhendong, head of technology firm Beida Jade Bird. He lived in the hotel in 2014 when another businessman he was allegedly connected to was placed under investigation on the mainland.

Another is Xing Libin, founder of Shanxi coal mining company Liansheng Energy. He also spent time at the Four Seasons Hong Kong after he heard Beijing authorities were investigating his company. He later returned to Shanxi where he was arrested.

Some others include LeEco founder Jia Yueting, Jiangxi tycoon Xiong Xianzhong of Ke Long supermarkets, businessman Su Daren, and Wu Changjiang, chief executive of NVC Lighting who spent time in the hotel to evade mainland authorities.

However, it is an intriguing fact that Xiao would have an entourage of female bodyguards ranging from two to eight.

Xing Libin also stayed at the hotel, but was later arrested

When questioned by the media, Hong Kong security experts commented it was unusual to have an entire team of female bodyguards, rather than say one as part of a team.

Bruce McLaren, the chief operating officer of Signal 8 Security, said having female bodyguards was mostly beneficial to female clients, as they could accompany them to the washroom or changing areas with ease.

He added female bodyguards can be just as strong as the men.

So the mystery continues as to the fate of Xiao -- will he be allowed to come back to Hong Kong? Will he be detained indefinitely on the mainland?

And also -- will mainlanders now avoid staying at the Four Seasons as mainland agents just plucked Xiao out of there even though he had bodyguards with him?

Questions Over Missing Billionaire

A file photo of Xiao Jianhua, who has disappeared from Hong Kong

There are reports that a mainland Chinese billionaire was taken away from his apartment in the Four Seasons Hong Kong and taken across the border on Friday.

The latest is that Xiao Jianhua, 46, was last seen leaving the hotel in Central with a group of people. And then it was reported he crossed the border to Shenzhen at 3pm that day.

It's all very mysterious, but It is eerily reminiscent of the five booksellers who went missing over a year ago.

He was last seen at the Four Seasons Hong Kong (left)

This time it's not sure what has happened to Xiao, as he is considered to be highly connected to Beijing circles.

He's been known to be a banker to Beijing elites and their relatives, and made many business deals in areas from banking to coal, cement, insurance and property that have made him and his company Tomorrow Group worth about US$5.8 billion.

However suspicions arose this week when two statements were issued in Xiao's name apparently on his WeChat account claiming he was on the mainland.

The first one, issued on Monday said: "I, Xiao Jianhua, am recuperating overseas now and all is good! Business is normal at Tomorrow Group!"

The second statement released yesterday said the tycoon had not been "captured" and taken back to the mainland, and would appear "very soon after the treatment".

Xiao is highly connected to Beijing

It added Xiao was a Canadian citizen, and that he enjoyed consular protection from Canada, and as a Hong Kong permanent resident, he was covered by the city's laws. He was even quoted as saying he held a "diplomatic passport", that was issued from Antigua.

"I have diplomatic protection as I hold a diplomatic passport. Please don't worry about me," it said.

These two statements were later deleted from the account.

Then today there was an ad taken out in Ming Pao newspaper that basically reiterated the second statement, and said Wang loved his country and had never been involved in any situation that might damage the country's interests or the government's image, or supported an opposition organization.

It's all very strange, as Xiao is considered to be very well connected, but the two messages and in particular the advertisement seem very contrived and hard to believe. Why would anyone take out an ad like that?

If these messages were meant to be reassurances, they had the opposite reaction. Just because a mainlander has a Canadian passport means nothing to Beijing -- especially if he did not cross the border using his passport (with a visa in it).

This case may not garner as much sympathy in Hong Kong because Xiao is a mainlander, but the principle is the same -- a Hong Kong resident cannot be taken across the border against his will which is in Article 28 of the Basic Law.

Here we have the chills again, that anyone can be spirited away across the border without any signs. The fact that he was taken away in such a public place is quite daring.

We will have to see what happens, but it may be weeks or months before we hear something...