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# Hong Kong

## Xianggang, 香港

Last modified: 2026-07-18 by ian macdonald
Keywords: hong kong | bauhinia |
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image by Zoltan Horvath, 12 June 2024

- A brief synopsis of the law
- Protocol

- Reports on use on seagoing vessels
- Double ensign of Hong Kong
- Flag raising in Hong Kong

- Colour specifications
- Regional Emblem

See also:

- Fact Sheet
- Colonial Hong Kong
- Government Organizations

- Hong Kong Police
- Hong Kong Water Police
- Corrections Service Department
- Customs and Excise Department
- Fire Services Department
- Government Flying Service
- Hong Kong Immigration Department
- Hong Kong Auxiliary Medical Service
- Civil Aid Service
- Hong Kong Post

- Commercial Flags

- Hong Kong Maritime Shipping Companies
- Chinese General Chamber of Commerce
- China Motor Bus Company
- CLP Group
- Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
- Mass Transit Railway (MTR) of Hong Kong
- South China Morning Post
- Sun Hung Kai Properties
- University of Hong Kong
- Wharf (Holdings) Limited

- Miscellany

- Cathay Pacific Airways
- Hong Kong Airport Authority
- Hong Kong Airways
- Hong Kong Autonomy Movement
- Hong Kong Independence protest flags
- Yacht Clubs in Hong Kong
- Royal Hong Kong Regiment
- Christian Boat Flag
- Water Sports Safety and Warning Signals
- Hong Kong Jockey Club
- Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled
- Hong Kong Special Olympics flag
- Hong Kong Pilots Association
- Hong Kong LGBT Flag
- Hong Kong Red Cross
- Hong Kong Life Saving Society

- China
- Flag dates: by country

External links:

- Use of the Flag of China in Hong Kong
- Law on the Hong Kong Flag
  - Another External Link on the flag law

## A brief synopsis on the flag law

(from http://www.hk1997.china.com/english/97news/jun_archives/970606.146.html ):

> The correct use of the Chinese national flag and the regional flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) have been determined in regulations passed by the 58th executive meeting of the State Council, held here [in Beijing] on Thursday.
> In accordance with the National Flag Law of the People's Republic of China, the regulations demand that when the national flag and regional flag of the Hong Kong SAR are raised or used at the same time, the national flag should be at the central, a higher or prominent position.
> When the two flags are used at the same time and placed side by side, the national flag should be larger than the regional flag, with the national flag taking the right position and the regional flag taking the left.
> In procession, the national flag should be raised in front of the regional flag, according to the regulations.
> The regulations will be put into effect on July 1.

Thanh-Tâm Lę, 22 December 1998

The Hong Kong SAR flag and emblem were adopted on Feb 16th 1990 and passed the preparatory committee of Hong Kong SAR on Aug 10th 1996 and first officially hoisted on Jul 1st 1997 when Hong Kong was returned from the U.K. to China.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 21 August 2004

The flag was adopted and by the committee which was drafting the Basic Law of the future region. Ordinance No. 117 dated on the date of return to Chinese rule, confirmed the flag and gave detailed construction details in Appendix 2.
Christopher Southworth, 22 August 2004

The flower on the flag is the Hong Kong Orchid Tree (Bauhinia Blakeana) - named after the British Governor of Hong Kong from 1898 to 1903, Sir Henry Blake, a keen botanist who discovered it near Pokfulam, Hong Kong Island, in 1880.
The actual flowers are bright pinkish purple, not white as on the flag.
If I remember my botany it is normally sterile and can only be propagated by cuttings (there is one tree that is said to produce seeds). Actually it is neither a tree nor an orchid, it's a member of the Class leguminosae (the pea family). The genus is named in honor of the Swiss botanists of the 16th and 17th centuries, the Bauhin brothers.
Graham Bartram, 20 August 2004

## Protocol

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) flag shall always be flown on the dexter side of the Chinese National Flag, even when there are only two flag poles available. (This is the opposite of the standard Western practice, where when there is an even number of flag poles, regional flags are flown on the sinister side of the national flag.) Officially, the HKSAR flag should be smaller, and flown on a shorter flag pole, than the Chinese National Flag.
Most government offices fly only the HKSAR flag (in contrast to the former British practice of flying only the Union Jack). Sometimes departmental flags are also flown, on either side of the HKSAR flag. The Legislative Council flies both the Chinese National Flag and the HKSAR Flag as prescribed above, whereas installations of the People's Liberation Army fly only the Chinese National Flag. (Note the political meanings of all these flag-flying arrangements.)
At sea, HKSAR government vessels fly only the HKSAR flag as the ensign. Civilian vessels fly either the HKSAR flag, or the Chinese National Flag above the HKSAR Flag.
Miles Li, 10 May 2007

### Reports on use on seagoing vessels

[Ed: The following information is included for historical purposes, further elaborated upon by the protocol section, above.]

On 10 Nov. 1999, Jan Oskar Engene sent to FOTW the Chinese law on National Flag :..Article 11 Measures for the display of the National Flag by civilian vessels or foreign vessels entering Chinese territorial waters.. On 1 December 1998, Lloyd's List advertised for the Hong Kong shipping register with a picture of the Chinese National Flag over the Bauhinia Flag. On 1 December 2000, the same newspaper had a photo of Hong Kong MV "Xin Qiang", showing the Chinese National Flag over the Bauhinia Flag.
Yet on 6 February 2001, the same newspaper had a photo of Hong Kong MV "MSC Hamburg", showing the Bauhinia Flag alone. On 2 February 1999, the French Consul General in Hong Kong sent me two photos of launches in Hong Kong harbour showing Bauhinia Flag alone.
So, I think that in practice both possibilities exist for the Civil Ensign, the Bauhinia Flag alone or the Bauhinia Flag under the Chinese national Flag
Armand du Payrat, 28 June 2001

[One] [photo] I recently took in the US Northwest shows the stern of the merchant ship Abbot Point, registered in Hong Kong. She is flying Chinese ensign above the Hong Kong ensign on the staff.
Peter Ansoff, 19 September 2006

### Double ensign of Hong Kong

image located by Željko Heimer, 16 May 2010

It seems that the practice of flying two ensign of Hong Kong, which we report on is well established. Here is an example, a photo attached (and resized to fit FOTW-ml) I received from Robert Grubiąa from Rijeka.
About a month ago, a large car-carrier was refurbished in the Rijeka "3. maj" shipyards after 9 months and transferred to its HK owners. A report on that (with another photo of the flag exchange ceremony) can be found at http://www.novilist.hr/2010/04/29/-BBmonte-carlo-AB-za-35-milijuna.aspx
The flag exchange ceremony was performed, when the Croatian ensign was replaced with that of the new owners - actually with two ensigns, that of the PR China and the HKSAR hoisted one over the other. The photo attached show the final result (and if you look closer, the neatly folded HR flag is set down near the flag staff).
Anyway, flying two ensigns at the same time is not usual maritime practice, in fact, if I am not much mistaken, it is not considered appropriate, even if one is subordinate to the other. Or am I wrong? Is the situation in Macao the same?
Željko Heimer, 16 May 2010

It is unusual, but follows a practice established in colonial Hong Kong. The Hong Kong (Legislative Powers) Order of 1986 allowed the Governor of Hong Kong to initiate legislation relating to, among other things, merchant shipping. This led to the Hong Kong Merchant Shipping (Registration) Ordinance of 1990. Vessels on the register were required to wear, on the same staff, the plain Red Ensign above the Hong Kong Blue Ensign. It seems that the requirement was widely ignored, and a Red Ensign defaced with the badge from the Honk Kong Blue Ensign was flown instead.
David Prothero, 16 May 2010

David's comments on the double Hong Kong ensign are perfectly correct. Such usage was, indeed, rare, but the ferries plying between Hong Kong and Macao invariably flew both the red ensign and the colonial blue from the same staff at the stern of the vessel. When entering Macao waters, the Portuguese flag was hoisted at the yard-arm.
Occasionally, one saw the red and blue ensigns both defaced with the colonial arms flown in this manner, though usually, the defaced red was to be seen flying at the yard-arm of foreign-registered vessels entering Hong Kong waters.
Željko asks about the practice in Macao. Before 1999, I seem to recall that only the Portuguese flag was flown, Macao in those days not having a local equivalent of Hong Kong's blue or red ensigns. I am not sure of the position today. Macao does now have a regional flag and this may indeed be flown in conjunction with the Chinese national flag in a manner similar to that which pertains in Hong Kong.
I'll be going over to Macao later this week and will keep my eyes open. Watch this space.
Peter Johnson, 17 May 2010

### Flag raising in Hong Kong

I offer a YouTube link which nicely illustrates my comments on how flags are now raised in Hong Kong.
You will note that the uniforms, drill and commands continue to follow the British pattern, the only novelty being the flourish with which the flags are cast away.
The more observant amongst you will note that, towards the end of the clip, other Chinese and Hong Kong flags can be seen already flying at full staff further down the promenade. I doubt very much that these would have been hoisted in the same dramatic fashion and am at a loss to explain why they were hoisted before the two flags 'officially' hauled up in the clip.
A further illustration, I suspect, of the oft-found divergence that arises between practice as prescribed in regulations and that which actually takes place.
Peter Johnson, 12 July 2010

## Colour specifications

The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 [loc12]) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be.
For Hong Kong: PMS 186 red. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise.
Ian Sumner, 10 October 2012

Regional Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance defines the flag in all aspects including its color:
https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/A602!en?xpid=ID_1438403584267_001
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/GB16689-2004.pdf (original Chinese)
Other sources for colors:
The Flag Manual - Beijing 2008 gives Pantone color: PMS 032 (red).
The Album des Pavillons 2000 [pay00] (Corr. No. 5.) illustrates the flag, but doesn’t give separate color specification other than colors of Chinese flags.
The Album des Pavillons 2023 illustrates the flag, but doesn’t give separate color specification other than colors of Chinese flags.
Vexilla Mundi illustrates the flag, but doesn’t give any color specification.
Wikipedia illustrates the flag, gives a specification details, regarding its colors refers to Regional Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance (i.e. identical with Chinese colors).
Flag Color Codes gives the following color values:
Red: Hex. # DE2910, RGB 222-41-16, CMYK 0-82-93-13, Pantone 186 C, RAL 3028
White: Hex. # FFFFFF, RGB 255-255-255, CMYK 0-0-0-0, Pantone N/A, RAL N/A
Description of flag from Regional Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance:
The regional flag is in red, the chrominance value of which is identical with that of the national flag. The regional flag is rectangular in shape with its length/height ratio being 3 to 2. At the centre of the regional flag is a white 5-petal bauhinia in swaying motion. The diameter of its outer circle is 3/5 of the regional flag’s height. The petals are evenly arranged round the central point of the regional flag in a clockwise direction. Each petal bears a red 5-pointed star and a red style. The centre of the bauhinia lies on the central point of the regional flag. The case of the pole is in white.

Zoltan Horvath, 12 June 2024

## Regional Emblem

image by Zoltan Horvath, 12 June 2024

Description of emblem of Hong Kong from Regional Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance:
The regional emblem is round in shape. It bears a red circular edge, an outer ring marked with scripts, a red inner ring with a design of a swaying bauhinia with 5 star-shaped stamens.
The swaying bauhinia design at the centre of the inner ring of the regional emblem is white in colour. It is formed by 5 petals, each with a red 5-pointed star and a red style. The petals are evenly arranged around the central point of the regional emblem in a clockwise direction. The centre of the bauhinia lies on the central point of the regional emblem.
The outer ring marked with scripts lies between the red circular edge and the red inner ring. The words and characters, on a white background, are red in colour. Evenly arranged in the upper part of the outer ring are the Chinese characters “中華人民共和國香港特別行政區” in complex form and in the standard format for the regional emblem. The bottom of each character points towards the centre of the regional emblem. The English words “HONG KONG” in the standard format for the regional emblem are evenly arranged further down the outer ring. The top of each alphabet points towards the centre of the regional emblem. In between the Chinese characters and the English words is a 5-pointed red star on two sides. One point of both stars points towards the centre of the regional emblem. The Chinese characters, the English words and the 5-pointed stars are symmetrically arranged with reference to the centrelines of the regional emblem.

Zoltan Horvath, 12 June 2024