Flag of Hong Kong
| Use | Civil and state flag, civil and state ensign |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | Approved on 4 April 1990 by the National People's Congress; first flown on 1 July 1997 |
| Design | A stylised, white, five-petal Bauhinia flower in the centre of a red field |
| Designed by | Tao Ho |
| Regional flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 中華人民共和國香港特別行政區區旗 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 中华人民共和国香港特别行政区区旗 | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
The Regional Flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China depicts a white stylised five-petal Hong Kong orchid tree (Bauhinia × blakeana) flower in the centre of a Chinese red field. Its design is enshrined in Hong Kong's Basic Law, the territory's constitutional document,[1] and regulations regarding its use, prohibition of use, desecration, and manufacture are stated in the Regional Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance.[2]
The original design of the flag of Hong Kong was unveiled on 4 April 1990 at the Third Session of the Seventh National People's Congress.[3][4] The current design was approved on 10 August 1996 at the Fourth Plenum of the Preparatory Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.[5] The use of the flag is regulated by laws passed by the 58th executive meeting of the State Council held in Beijing.[6] The flag was officially adopted and hoisted on 1 July 1997, during the handover ceremony marking the handover from the United Kingdom back to China.[7]
A variant of the flag known as the Black Bauhinia has been used by anti-Chinese government protesters in Hong Kong, particularly during the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests. In contrast of the protests, pro-government supporters often display the Chinese and Hong Kong flags.[8]
- ^ "Basic Law Full Text". Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
- ^ "Regional Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance" (PDF). Bilingual Laws Information System. 1 July 1997. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 January 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
- ^ "State Council Gazette Issue No.7 Serial No. 616 (May 26, 1990)" (PDF). www.gov.cn. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- ^ "Decision of the National People's Congress on the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region of the People's Republic of China". Government of Hong Kong. 4 April 1990. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
- ^ "Regional Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance". Hong Kong e-Legislation. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- ^ Laws and Regulations of the People's Republic of China. China Legal Publishing House. 2001. p. iv. ISBN 7-80083-759-9.
- ^ Jeffrey Aaronson. "Schedule of Events". Time. Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
- ^ Holland, Oscar (6 July 2019). "Designed as a symbol of unity, Hong Kong's flag becomes the focus of protest". CNN. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.