The Flag of Hong Kong from 1871 to 1997 was a

Blue Ensign The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated or formerly associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain or Defacement (flag), defaced with a Heraldic badge, ...

with the

coat of arms of Hong Kong The Regional Emblem of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China came into use on 1 July 1997, after the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China. T ...

on a white disk. In Hong Kong, it is also nicknamed the Hong Kong flag (), British Hong Kong flag () or the Dragon and Lion flag (). In 1959, following a grant from the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

and with the consent of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

, it was adopted as the flag of

British Hong Kong Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the Briti ...

. While the flag lost its official status following the 1 July 1997

transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong Sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China (PRC) at midnight on 1 July 1997. This event ended 156 years of British rule in the former colony. Hong Kong was established as a special admini ...

, it resurfaced in the 2010s as a symbol of increased Hong Kong autonomy and protest against Communist Chinese rule in Hong Kong.

History

Prior to Hong Kong's transfer of sovereignty, the flag of Hong Kong was a colonial

flag. The flag of

colonial Hong Kong Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the British ...

underwent several changes from then until 1997.

Use of Union Flag (1843–1871)

In 1843, a

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

representing Hong Kong was instituted. The design was based on a local waterfront scene; three local merchants with their commercial goods are shown on the foreground, a square-rigged ship and a junk occupy the middle ground, while the background consists of conical hills and clouds. In 1868, a Hong Kong flag was produced, a Blue Ensign flag with a badge based on this "local scene", but the design was rejected by

Hong Kong Governor The governor of Hong Kong was the representative of the British Crown in Hong Kong from 1843 to 1997. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council and commander-in-chief of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong. ...

Richard Graves MacDonnell Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell (; 3 September 1814 – 5 February 1881) was an Anglo-Irish lawyer, judge and colonial governor. His posts as governor included Governor of the British Settlements in West Africa, Governor of Saint Vincent, Gove ...

First colonial flag (1871–1876)

On 3 July 1869, a new design for the Hong Kong flag was commissioned at a cost of £3, which featured a "gentleman in an evening coat who is purchasing tea on the beach at Kowloon". After a brief discussion in the executive council, it was determined that the new design was very problematic and it was not adopted. In 1870, a "white crown over HK" badge for the Blue Ensign flag was proposed by the Colonial Secretary. The letters "HK" were omitted and the crown became full-colour three years later. It is unclear exactly what the badge looked like during that period of time, but it was unlikely to be the "local scene". It should have been a crown of some sort, which may, or may not, have had the letters "HK" below it. In 1876, the "local scene" badge ( ''Picture of "Ar Kwan" Guiding the British soldier'') was re-adopted to the Blue Ensign flag with the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral * Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings *Admiralty, Tr ...

's approval.

Second colonial flag (1876–1955)

During a government meeting, held in 1911, it was suggested that the name of the colony appear on the flag in both Latin and Chinese scripts. However, this was dismissed as it would "look absurd" to both Chinese and Europeans. The flag which was eventually adopted featured the Blue Ensign together with a "local scene" of traders in the foreground and both European-style and Chinese-style trading ships in the background.

Japanese occupation period (1941–1945)

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Hong Kong was seized and occupied by the

Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent fo ...

from 1941 to 1945. During the occupation, the Japanese military government used the flag of Japan in its official works in Hong Kong.

Third colonial flag (1955–1959)

The flag was similar in design to that previously used. It featured a British Blue Ensign with a local waterfront scene.

Fourth colonial flag (1959–1997)

A coat of arms for Hong Kong was granted on 21 January 1959 by the

in London. The Hong Kong flag was revised in the same year to feature the coat of arms in the Blue Ensign flag. This design was used officially from 1959 until Hong Kong's transfer of sovereignty in 1997. Since then, the colonial flag has been appropriated by protestors, such as on the annual

1 July marches The Hong Kong 1 July protests was an annual protest rally originally held by the Civil Human Rights Front from the day of handover in 1997 on the HKSAR establishment day. However, it was not until 2003 that the march drew large public attentio ...

for

universal suffrage Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political stanc ...

, as a "symbol of antagonism towards the mainland", along with a blue flag featuring the coat of arms, used by those advocating independence. The flag features a British Blue Ensign with the

(1959–1997).

Flags used by government departments

Flags of the Governor of Hong Kong

Council flags

Hong Kong Regional Council

The flag of the Regional Council represented the governmental body which oversaw matters related to the outlying areas of the territory during the colonial period. The flag itself featured a stylised white R at a 45-degree angle on a dark green background.

Hong Kong Urban Council

The flag of the

Urban Council The Urban Council (UrbCo) was a municipal council in Hong Kong responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon (including New Kowloon). These services were provided by the council's executive arm, the Urban Services ...

represented the governmental body which was responsible for matters pertaining to the urban areas of the territory during the colonial period. The flag itself features a simplified white

Bauhinia blakeana ''Bauhinia'' () is a large genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Cercidoideae and tribe Bauhinieae, in the large flowering plant family Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution. The genus was named after the Bauhin brothers Gaspard and Jo ...

on a magenta background.

Creation and usage

Before the

, Hong Kong had no official flag and used a series of blue ensigns with different flag badges. Following the war, the

Governor of Hong Kong The governor of Hong Kong was the representative of the British Crown in Hong Kong from 1843 to 1997. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council and commander-in-chief of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong. ...

Robert Black decided to gain an official grant of arms to use on Hong Kong's flag. Designed in 1958 by Geoffrey Cadzow Hamilton, managing officer of the

civil service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

, the flag was approved by the

Executive Council of Hong Kong The Executive Council of Hong Kong (ExCo) is the cabinet of the Government of Hong Kong, acting as a formal body of advisers to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong that serves as a core policy-making organ assisting the Chief Executive. It is ...

, and then by the College of Arms with minor amendments. The arms on the flag were designed with

Chinese junk A junk (Chinese: 船, ''chuán'') is a type of Chinese sailing ship with fully battened sails. There are two types of junk in China: northern junk, which developed from Chinese river boats, and southern junk, which developed from Austronesian ...

s, a naval crown, and a

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

and dragon as supporters, with a crowned lion crest on the helm holding a pearl; this was a reference to Hong Kong's nickname as the "Pearl of the Orient". Queen Elizabeth II granted a

Royal Warrant A royal warrant is a document issued by a monarch which confers rights or privileges on the recipient, or has the effect of law. Royal warrant may refer to: * Royal warrant of appointment, warrant to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a r ...

for the coat of arms, which was presented to Governor Black by

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from El ...

. The Queen's

Counsellors of State Counsellors of State are senior members of the British royal family to whom the monarch can delegate and revoke royal functions through letters patent under the Great Seal, to prevent delay or difficulty in the dispatch of public business in t ...

later gave permission on her behalf for the arms to be used on a blue ensign as the colony's flag. Ships registered in Hong Kong flew the Hong Kong blue ensign and were able to use the British red ensign as an identifier. The flag was used to represent Hong Kong in sports, including at the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

, although the British national anthem, "

God Save the Queen "God Save the King" is the national and/or royal anthem of the United Kingdom, most of the Commonwealth realms, their territories, and the British Crown Dependencies. The author of the tune is unknown and it may originate in plainchant, bu ...

", was used for gold medallists. The flag had no specific legal protections; there were no laws prohibiting desecration of the flag, despite it being Hong Kong's national flag. Following the planned transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong, plans were drawn up in the 1990s for a new flag to replace the blue ensign. Following a public competition, a red flag with a

bauhinia ''Bauhinia'' () is a large genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Cercidoideae and tribe Bauhinieae, in the large flowering plant family Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution. The genus was named after the Bauhin brothers Gaspard and Jo ...

was chosen as the new flag of Hong Kong. This new flag gained formal legal status replacing the blue ensign at the

handover In cellular telecommunications, handover, or handoff, is the process of transferring an ongoing call or data session from one channel connected to the core network to another channel. In satellite communications it is the process of transfe ...

on 1 July 1997.

Post-handover

Following the

Hong Kong handover ceremony The handover ceremony of Hong Kong in 1997 officially marked the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the People's Republic of China. It was an internationally televised event w ...

, when the

Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

and the Hong Kong blue ensign were lowered to symbolise the end of British rule in Hong Kong, the blue ensign lost its official status and was replaced by the current

flag of Hong Kong The flag of Hong Kong, officially 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 ...

. In the 2010s, the former flag of Hong Kong was used by protesters to represent the cultural differences between Hong Kong and China; the flag was also used to protest against Chinese interference in Hong Kong, as well as perceived Chinese breaches of Hong Kong's

(granted by the

Sino-British Joint Declaration The Sino-British Joint Declaration is a treaty between the governments of the United Kingdom and China signed in 1984 setting the conditions in which Hong Kong was transferred to Chinese control and for the governance of the territory after ...

). The first high-profile use of the old flag in protests came in 2011 during

pro-democracy Democratization, or democratisation, is the transition to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction. It may be a hybrid regime in transition from an authoritarian regime to a full ...

protests. Protesters often stated that they did not use the blue ensign to endorse Hong Kong independence or the return of Hong Kong to British control, but rather because they felt that Hong Kong had greater freedom under British rule. The protesters also said that they used the flag to express the contrasting values of China and Hong Kong. Advocates of the

Hong Kong Independence Movement Hong Kong independence is a political movement that advocates the establishment of Hong Kong as an independent sovereign state. Hong Kong is one of two Special administrative regions of China (SAR) which enjoys a certain degree of autonomy ...

and the

Hong Kong Autonomy Movement Hong Kong Autonomy Movement (), sometimes Hong Kong City State Autonomous Movement (), is a movement formed in Hong Kong amidst the raising awareness about Hong Kong's constitutional rights of high autonomy, free from interference of PRC govern ...

use a derivative of the blue ensign, without the British

and with the Chinese characters for Hong Kong () in the centre of the arms rather than the standard English "Hong Kong". The right to display the old flag is protected under the

Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance The Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance (HKBORO), often referred to as the Hong Kong Bill of Rights, is Chapter 383 of the Laws of Hong Kong, which transposed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights so that it is incorporated ...

and the

Hong Kong Basic Law The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is a national law of China that serves as the organic law for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Comprising nine chapters, 160 ...

as an expression of free speech. Despite this, when the old flag began appearing in protests, pro-Beijing newspapers called for it to be banned. The pro-Beijing camp views the flag as a symbol of colonialism and a reminder of China's losses during the era of

New Imperialism In historical contexts, New Imperialism characterizes a period of colonial expansion by European powers, the United States, and Japan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Com The period featured an unprecedented pursuit of ove ...

Protesters waving the Hong Kong colonial flag in front of China liaison office in Hong Kong 02

The then

Chief Executive of Hong Kong The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and head of the Government of Hong Kong. The position was created to replace the office of governor of ...

, C.Y. Leung, requested that people not use the blue ensign as a symbol of protest against government, stating: "People unhappy with the government don't need to wave the British flag to express discontent". China's

Politburo Standing Committee The Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), officially the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, is a committee consisting of the top leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Histori ...

member, Yu Zhengsheng, stated that "The Chinese people will not accept some Hongkongers waving the colonial flag" to protest against Chinese citizens going to Hong Kong to give birth. Critics also stated that the usage of the blue ensign was based on a selective view of British rule in Hong Kong, instead referencing early segregation and the imposition of martial law during the

1967 Hong Kong riots The 1967 Hong Kong riots were large-scale anti-government riots that occurred in Hong Kong during British colonial rule. Beginning as a minor labour dispute, the demonstrations eventually escalated into protests against the British colonial go ...

. Despite being a popular protest flag, the leaders of the

Umbrella Movement The Umbrella Movement () was a political movement that emerged during the Hong Kong democracy protests of 2014. Its name arose from the use of umbrellas as a tool for passive resistance to the Hong Kong Police's use of pepper spray to dispe ...

requested that participants of the movement not use the flag, as they intended to protest without intentionally provoking Chinese authorities or the

Hong Kong Police Force The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest Hong Kong Disciplined Services, disciplined service under the Security Bureau (Hong Kong), Security Bureau of Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Po ...

. The flag has also been used outside of Hong Kong; in the United Kingdom, the blue ensign has been used as a symbol of protest to pressure the

government of the United Kingdom ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal coat of arms of t ...

to ensure the Sino-British Joint Declaration is fulfilled. During the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, when protesters broke into the

Legislative Council Complex The Legislative Council Complex (LegCo Complex) is the headquarters of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. The complex is located at 1 Legislative Council Road, Central, Hong Kong. Construction of the LegCo Complex commenced in 2008 and was ...

they draped the British Hong Kong flag over the desk of the

President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong The president of the Legislative Council is the presiding officer of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. According to the Article 71 of the Hong Kong Basic Law, the president of the Legislative Council is elected by and from among Legislativ ...

at the head of the chamber.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flag of Hong Kong (1871-1997) 1871 establishments in Hong Kong 1997 disestablishments in Hong Kong Blue Ensigns British heraldry British Hong Kong Flags of British Overseas Territories Flags of Hong Kong Flags of the United Kingdom Historical flags Hong Kong and the Commonwealth of Nations

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

2019–2020 Hong Kong protests