Interview with Jari Sinkari, Finland’s consul general in Hong Kong by South China Morning Post

Clinging to stone walls and steep slopes as they thrive in a tough urban environment with the odds stacked against them, the Chinese banyan tree is the perfect metaphor for the indomitable spirit of Hongkongers, Finland’s top diplomat in the city says.

The trees, commonly found in Hong Kong but not seen in the subarctic climate of the Nordic country, have long fascinated the envoy, and he considers them representative of the city’s “can-do spirit”.

“Hong Kong people are like banyan trees because they are flexible and know how to look for opportunities,” said Jari Sinkari, Finland’s consul general in Hong Kong.

“They are able to find water and resources even though you would think they would not survive. For me, it is a metaphor for Hong Kong.”

Read the article in full: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1861928/hongkongers-are-chinese-banyan-trees-says-citys-finnish