Purpose: The author aims to give an overview of civic education in Hong Kong as well as of Liberal Studies, and to discern the reasons behind the reforms to the curriculum and assessment of Liberal Studies. Approach: The analysis is based on government documents related to the subject's curriculum and assessment, press releases and secondary sources. Regarding the controversies, the author draws on numerous studies conducted by educators and scholars in Hong Kong. Findings: The main finding is that there is no empirical evidence supporting a causal relationship between Liberal Studies and youth activism. It seems that the drastic reforms to the curriculum and assessment of Liberal Studies aim to further cultivate an uncritical Chinese national identity in the post-colonial Hong Kong.