Hong Kong Flags

Flag of Hong Kong

Hong Kong is part of China, but it also has a unique Hong Kong flag that helps to distinguish it from the rest of the nation. The flag of Hong Kong does follow in the footsteps of the colonial flags of the British Empire, but it shows very little influence from those flags. It shows a greater influence from the flag of China, but it retains enough unique features to be very distinct from the Chinese flag.

• Capital of Hong Kong: Hong Kong special administrative region
• Area of Hong Kong: 1,042 sq. km
• Languages used in Hong Kong: Cantonese (official), English (official)
• Religions in Hong Kong: Local religions, Christian

Colors and Symbolism of the Hong Kong Flag

The Hong Kong flag has a solid red field with a white flower in the center of the field. The red field is identical to that of the Chinese flag, so it represents the fact that Hong Kong is an autonomous region of China rather than a fully independent state. Red is also a symbol of celebration and good fortune in China. The flower represents a species that is native to Hong Kong, so it reflects the city's unique features. It also has five petals which display five small stars, which stand in for the stars of the Chinese flag. The combination of red and white on the flag represents the unique relationship between Hong Kong and China, which is characterized by a single nation that has two separate political systems.

History of the Flag of Hong Kong

The first flag to represent Hong Kong was the Union Jack of the British Empire, which came into use when the Empire annexed Hong Kong in 1841. The colony gained a unique flag in 1870. It followed the usual pattern for British colonial flags and consisted of the British blue ensign defaced with the colonial seal in the fly. The seal changed in 1876 to create the flag that would fly over Hong Kong until it was occupied by Japan in 1941 during the second world war.

The flag of Japan flew in place of the flag of Hong Kong until the city was liberated in 1945. The colonial flag came back into use at that time, and it remained in use until the seal changed once again in 1959. The colonial flag was finally replaced with the modern flag when Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, and it has remained in use ever since.