▁has ▁sur ged ▁since ▁the ▁hand over , ▁reaching ▁ 2 8 ▁million ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁The ▁infl ux ▁is ▁perce ived ▁by ▁many ▁loc als ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁their ▁housing ▁and ▁job ▁difficulties . ▁Neg ative ▁per ception s ▁have ▁been ▁ex ac erb ated ▁by ▁posts ▁and ▁rec ir cul ations ▁of ▁alleg ed ▁main land er ▁mis be hav iour ▁on ▁social ▁media , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁noted ▁bias ▁in ▁major ▁H K ▁newsp apers . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁pol ls ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁suggested ▁that ▁ 3 2 ▁to ▁ 3 5 . 6 ▁per ▁cent ▁of ▁loc als ▁had ▁" negative " ▁feelings ▁for ▁main land ▁Chinese ▁people . ▁However , ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁survey ▁of ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁residents ▁has ▁suggested ▁that ▁there ▁are ▁also ▁some ▁who ▁attribute ▁positive ▁s tere ot ypes ▁to ▁visitors ▁from ▁the ▁main land . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁residents ▁published ▁a ▁newspaper ▁advert is ement ▁dep ict ing ▁main land ▁visitors ▁and ▁imm igr ants ▁as ▁loc ust s . ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁about ▁ 1 0 0 ▁Hong ▁Kong ers ▁har ass ed ▁main land ▁tour ists ▁and ▁sh opp ers ▁during ▁what ▁they ▁sty led ▁an ▁" anti - loc ust " ▁protest ▁in ▁K ow lo on . ▁ ▁In ▁response , ▁the ▁Equ al ▁O pport un ities