TORRENTIAL rain and lightning delayed the arrival of a forward contingent of Chinese troops at the Prince of Wales Barracks in central Hong Kong by an hour this morning.
Two military buses, two camouflaged armoured troop carriers, and five lorry loads of soldiers rumbled past the Furama Hotel, the Mandarin Oriental and other five-star hotels in Hong Kong's Central District at 7:40 a.m. (12.40 a.m. Irish time) on their way to the barracks nearby.
A few party-goers in evening dress, waiting for taxis, waved and laughed as the convoy passed and hotel workers ran to the door to see the first People's Liberation Army (PLA) vehicles enter the city.
The troops were part of a wave of more than 4,000 Chinese soldiers which crossed the border at three points to establish Chinese sovereignty over Hong Kong at 6 a.m., as dawn was breaking six hours after the Chinese flag was raised.
Hundreds of residents turned out despite the rain to wave and display banners decorated with flowers welcoming the PLA trucks and support vehicles.
The soldiers stood to attention on the lorries, despite the rain, but covers were hastily put in place as they encountered a tropical thunderstorm on what should have been a 40-minute journey to central Hong Kong.
A small advance contingent of Chinese troops had already raised the Red flag over the Prince of Wales Barracks, the former British military headquarters in Hong Kong, moments after the midnight hand over ceremony attended by British and Chinese leaders.
A colour guard of three British soldiers in dress uniform saluted a similar group of PLA officers and shook hands before walking away and boarding the HMS Chatham, the British frigate which had served as command headquarters for the British army during the last days of British rule.
The PLA soldiers immediately hoisted the Chinese flag.
"The sacred moment which the Chinese nation yearned for so long has arrived, and we hoist the Red flag over Hong Kong now," said Maj Gen Xiong Ziren, political commissar of the PLA Hong Kong garrison, as he addressed the soldiers.
At 9 p.m. last night an advance contingent of 509 Chinese troops entered Hong Kong to join the 196 soldiers who came in civilian clothes several weeks ago.
Several Chinese warships crossed into Hong Kong waters at 6 a.m. but were delayed by the rain, which cut visibility to 100 yards at times.