I last visited Hong Kong in 1996, the year before the British handed the colony back to China. It was a fun, memorable experience in a city of astonishing diversity and adversity as it awaited the arrival of the mainland government.

It’s been a difficult time for Hong Kong since that time, with protests over growing mainland influence and diminishing freedoms for citizen involvement, free press and access to the highest levels of government. It seems to have culminated in the worst scenario this week with Hong Kong legislators — mostly backers of China’s communist leader Xi Jinping — approving new national security laws that crack down on those who are in opposition. The freedoms that once were the hallmark of Hong Kong’s autonomy are rapidly disappearing.

Analysts warn this likely will have a chilling effect not only on the behaviors of individuals living in Hong Kong but with businesses based in and outside of the city. And that could mean serious trouble for Hong Kong’s once thriving economy. There is even a question arising now as to whether Hong Kong will remain a major international city.

From my tourist standpoint, it is all in the past. I’ll never go back as much as I relished my visits and desire to return. It is no longer a city of wonder and challenge and delight. It is a communist-ruled landscape, and I weep for its people and those who support their freedoms.