Patten's tenure faced several different challenges, as many in Hong Kong were still reeling from the Tiananmen Square Massacre a few years earlier. However the general public regarded him positively. He took steps to get in touch with the people of the colony, and was known for his penchant for taking public strolls around Hong Kong as well as in the media limelight. Hong Kong nicknamed him Fat Pang (), making him the only governor to have a widely recognised Chinese nickname. In contrast to his predecessors, Patten decided not to wear the official Court uniform on formal occasions.