Above : Well-wishers greet Premier Wen Jiabao excitedly outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on July 1.

Left : Jubilant schoolchildren given the all-clear to remove their face-masks after SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

Bottom left and right : The Immigration Department began an Identity Card Replacement Exercise in August, introducing for the first time a 'smart' card which has the capacity for immigration and non-immigration applications.