Countdown: 3, 2, 1 ... Party! Sure, there are still plenty of questions to sort out concerning Hong Kong's transition. Will future elections be free? Can China stem the flow of mainland immigrants? Will journalists be allowed to report objectively? But first things first. Before Hong Kong can get on with the rest of its life, there is the matter of the handover celebration.

On or about July 1, more than one million visitors will be on hand to experience the moment, and they'll be ready to boogie. A number of hotels and clubs will hold big bashes--some private, others open to anyone with big bucks to spare. They could go on for quite a while: the five days from June 28 to July 2 are public holidays in Hong Kong this year.

As we went to press, details about official handover-related doings remained somewhat sketchy. It still wasn't clear, for example, exactly what object or document Britain's representatives--Prince Charles is scheduled to preside--might symbolically hand over to the Chinese to mark the transition. Nonetheless, enough is known to present the following very unofficial guide to the festivities:

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