The beer is flowing again at Hong Kong’s Happy Valley Racecourse. Music pumps from clubs in the neon-streaked Lan Kwai Fong district. Even the Sevens — the annual rugby extravaganza that’s captured this city’s hyperkinetic lifestyle for decades — is back, finally.

After more than two years under Beijing’s stringent pandemic rules, Hong Kong wants to prove that it can still be "Asia’s World City.”

The Hang Seng Index has found a footing after losing roughly half its value. Dealmakers say business is looking up at last.