Hong Kong Flag Emoji 🇭🇰

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How To

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Emoji Codes

Flag emojis are unicode symbols, like any other letter or number on your keyboard. This means you can copy and paste the emoji itself into your code, whatever the language (click the button above).

They actually count as two characters: the two-letter country/territory code (the ISO international standard). The unicode and shortcode both represent territory data which devices can interpret and display the emoji.

Territory Code	Unicode	Shortcode
HK	U+1F1ED U+1F1F0	:flag_HK:n:HK:

Emoji shortcodes are used on some platforms as a way for users to type in emojis from the keyboard. If you type the emoji shortcode on Github or Slack, the emoji will appear.

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Description

The flag of Hong Kong features a white, stylised five-petal bauhinia flower on a red background. Each petal contains a red star-tipped line, symbolising the connection between Hong Kong and mainland China. The red background represents the motherland, while the white flower signifies the spirit of Hong Kong’s people. It has been the official flag since the handover from the United Kingdom in 1997.

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Weather

In the Capital

HONG KONG WEATHER

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FAQ

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Printable Flag

A printable version of the Hong Kong flag is coming soon. Check back later or browse other flags.

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3D Glossy Render — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong as a photorealistic 3D render. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag fabric hangs or drapes naturally but preserves exact proportions, colors, and all symbols perfectly — completely faithful to the real Hong Kong flag. Dramatic studio lighting, glossy silk material, soft shadows, subsurface scattering, perfect specular highlights. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Chalk on Blackboard — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong drawn in chalk on a real blackboard. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Authentic blackboard — dark slate green surface with chalk dust and smudge marks. Soft, dusty white and colored chalk lines, imperfect edges, hand-drawn quality. Chalk dust particles visible in the air. The flag is immediately recognizable. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Embroidered Textile — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong as intricate embroidery on linen fabric. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Dense satin stitches, French knots, chain stitch detail. The flag design is completely faithful — exact colors, geometry, and all symbols faithfully stitched, immediately recognizable as the Hong Kong flag. Visible thread texture, dimensional quality, warm handcrafted feel. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Flagpole in Capital — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Photorealistic photograph of the Hong Kong flag flying on a tall flagpole in front of an iconic government building in the capital city. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag ripples naturally in the wind, colors vivid and exact. Documentary photography style, sharp and realistic. Grand architecture in the background. Blue sky, dramatic clouds. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Golden Hour Reflection — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Photorealistic photograph of the Hong Kong flag reflected in still water at golden hour. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag flies on a pole at the water’s edge, its reflection shimmering on the surface below. Warm amber and orange sunset light. The flag colors and design are faithful and vivid. Serene, cinematic landscape photography. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Street Art / Graffiti — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong as vibrant street art spray-painted on a brick wall. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Bold spray paint, dripping edges, stencil layers, overspray halos. The flag design is faithful and immediately recognizable — exact colors and symbols, just rendered in spray paint on urban concrete. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind. No tags, no graffiti lettering.

Sci-Fi Hologram — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong projected as a futuristic holographic display. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Translucent blue-white projection with scan lines, floating in dark space. Glitching edges, particle effects, data streams. The flag design is completely faithful and recognizable. Cyberpunk HUD elements framing the projection. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Hyperrealistic Wind — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Ultra-hyperrealistic photograph of the Hong Kong flag caught in a dramatic gust of wind. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Macro-level fabric detail — individual threads visible, fabric folds and tension lines crisp. Colors and design completely faithful to the real Hong Kong flag. High-speed shutter, razor-sharp focus, studio lighting. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Impressionist Oil — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong painted in French Impressionist oil on canvas. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Thick impasto brushstrokes, dappled light, vibrant broken color technique in the style of Monet. The flag is instantly recognizable — colors and design faithful to the real Hong Kong flag, interpreted with impressionist light and texture. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Lego Bricks — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong built from Lego bricks, photographed as a real physical construction. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Visible studs and brick seams, slight plastic sheen. Standard Lego colors approximate the flag’s palette. Built on a gray Lego baseplate. Dramatic angle showing the three-dimensional brick texture. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Low-Poly Geometric — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong constructed from low-polygon geometric triangles. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Aggressively faceted — each region broken into many visible triangular faces with subtle color variation across each polygon, creating real depth and dimensionality even in flat-color areas of the flag. Crystal-like, contemporary computational design. The flag is completely faithful and immediately recognizable. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Mosaic Tiles — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong assembled as a Roman-style mosaic. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag is completely faithful to the real Hong Kong flag — exact proportions, colors, and all symbols, rendered in thousands of small stone and glass tesserae. Visible grout lines, rich earthy tones mixed with brilliant glass, slight historical weathering. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Native Landscape — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Photorealistic photograph of the Hong Kong flag flying in an iconic natural landscape native to Hong Kong — the terrain, flora, and environment characteristic of that country. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag is prominent and its colors are faithful and vivid. Remote, uninhabited wilderness. National Geographic photography style. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Neon Sign — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong recreated as a real neon sign mounted on a dark wall. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Glowing glass neon tubes bent into the flag’s shapes — the colors of the flag rendered in actual neon light. Visible glass tube bends, metal mounting brackets on the wall. Warm neon glow and light bloom. Real neon, not digital. Photographed in a dark room. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Pencil Sketch — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong as a bold, confident pencil sketch. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Strong graphite lines on cream paper — not delicate but bold and decisive. Heavy pressure on key outlines, dramatic cross-hatching for deep shadows and shading. Immediately recognizable as the Hong Kong flag. Artist’s confident hand, not tentative. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Pixel Art — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong as detailed 16-bit pixel art. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Crisp pixel grid, limited palette with careful dithering, nostalgic retro game aesthetic. Clean grid-aligned design with subtle shading. Every element of the flag faithfully reproduced in pixels. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Stained Glass — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong rendered as an ornate stained glass window. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The design is completely faithful to the real Hong Kong flag — exact colors, geometry, and all symbols preserved. Brilliant jewel-toned glass pieces separated by dark lead came lines. Warm sunlight streaming through, casting colored light. Gothic cathedral craftsmanship. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Ukiyo-e Woodblock — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong as a traditional Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Bold outlines, flat areas of rich color, flowing organic forms. Wind and waves incorporated into the composition. Printed on washi paper with visible wood grain texture. The flag is the central focus and instantly recognizable. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

Vintage Postage Stamp — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong as a vintage 1950s postage stamp. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag fills most of the stamp — it is the primary subject, faithfully rendered in fine engraved intaglio style. Perforated edges, aged paper with slight foxing. The stamp may show a denomination numeral only — absolutely no other text or country names.

Watercolor — Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. The flag of Hong Kong painted in loose, expressive watercolor. Red field with a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower centered. Wet-on-wet technique with soft color bleeds, visible brushstrokes, natural paper texture. Delicate splashes and drips at the edges. Luminous, translucent layers of pigment. No text, no letters, no words, no writing of any kind.

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The flag of Hong Kong, officially adopted on July 1, 1997, upon the territory’s handover from British to Chinese sovereignty, represents a pivotal moment in Hong Kong’s modern history and embodies the complex identity of a region caught between Eastern and Western traditions. The flag features a striking red field bearing a stylized white five-petal Bauhinia flower (Bauhinia blakeana), with each petal containing a small gold star. This distinctive design marks a dramatic departure from Hong Kong’s previous colonial symbol and introduces an entirely new visual vocabulary that bridges Chinese nationalism with Hong Kong’s unique character. The choice of the Bauhinia flower is particularly significant, as this flower is endemic to Hong Kong and has long been associated with the territory, making it a botanically authentic and locally resonant choice for national symbolism. The bright red background directly echoes the flag of mainland China, symbolizing Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty after 156 years of British colonial rule, while the white flower represents purity and the orderly society that Hong Kong has developed under both colonial and post-handover governance.

The Bauhinia blakeana, which had been designated as Hong Kong’s emblem as early as 1965 when the territory was still under British administration, was chosen as the central motif through a careful design process that sought to honor Hong Kong’s existing identity while affirming its reconnection with China. The flower’s five petals are symmetrically arranged and contain five small gold or red stars, with some variations in color depending on the official specification being followed—the most common rendition features red stars within the white petals. This floral element immediately distinguishes Hong Kong’s flag from all other national and regional flags, making it globally recognizable while celebrating a symbol that had already become embedded in Hong Kong’s civic consciousness. The Bauhinia flower was originally named after Jean Bauhinia, a botanist, and the Hong Kong variety, Bauhinia blakeana, was even more specifically selected because it grows naturally in the territory, making the symbol both scientifically accurate and locally authentic in ways that purely abstract or imported symbols could never be.

The flag’s design emerged from a nationwide design competition held between 1995 and 1996, following the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration that outlined the conditions and timeline for Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty. The competition attracted over 7,000 entries from Hong Kong residents, reflecting broad public participation in creating a symbol that would represent the territory’s future identity. The winning design was submitted by Mr. Tao Ho, a prominent Hong Kong artist and designer whose vision synthesized the requirements set by the Chinese government and the Preparatory Committee for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The design competition itself became an important cultural moment, as it invited Hong Kongers to actively participate in imagining and defining their territory’s new symbolic identity at a moment of profound political transition. The public engagement in this process created a sense of collective ownership over the flag, even as broader anxieties about the handover and Hong Kong’s political future swirled throughout the territory.

Prior to 1997, Hong Kong’s symbol during the colonial period was the colonial coat of arms, which featured the British lion passant guardant and other heraldic elements reflecting British imperial authority. The territory also used the Union Jack as its official flag while under British administration, a standard practice throughout the British Empire. The gradual replacement of these symbols with distinctly Hong Kong-centered imagery beginning in the 1960s—with the adoption of the Bauhinia as a local emblem decades before political handover—reflected the emergence of a Hong Kong identity separate from both British imperialism and Chinese nationalism, a distinctly hybrid identity that characterized Hong Kong’s remarkable development during the late colonial period. The shift from these colonial symbols to a flag that incorporates both red (Chinese sovereignty) and the Bauhinia (Hong Kong local identity) represents not merely a change in governance but a fundamental renegotiation of how Hong Kong’s people understood their place in the world and their relationship to both China and the West.

The flag’s specifications are precisely defined by both Hong Kong governmental authorities and Chinese state standards to ensure consistency and proper display across official contexts. The flag’s aspect ratio is 3:2, with the Bauhinia flower positioned slightly off-center toward the hoist side, allowing the flower to be the dominant visual element while maintaining proper proportions for display in various contexts. The red color used is bright and saturated, matching the specific shade of red used in the flag of the People’s Republic of China, creating a visual continuity between Hong Kong’s flag and the national flag of China. The white Bauhinia flower, rendered with precise botanical accuracy, is the striking focal point that immediately distinguishes the Hong Kong flag from other regional flags and from China’s national flag. Official display standards govern how the flag should be mounted, maintained, and treated in public buildings, schools, and government institutions, with regulations specifying when the flag should be raised and lowered and procedures for proper care of damaged flags.

Since its adoption in 1997, the flag has become a potent and sometimes controversial symbol in Hong Kong’s political landscape. During periods of social calm and development, the flag has represented Hong Kong’s successful integration into China while maintaining distinct governance structures under the “one country, two systems” arrangement negotiated during the handover. However, during periods of political unrest and protests, particularly the major pro-democracy demonstrations that intensified from 2014 onwards during the Occupy Central movement and again in 2019-2020 during the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill protests, the flag’s meaning and symbolism became contested. Some pro-democracy protesters refused to acknowledge the flag as legitimate, viewing it as a symbol of increasing Chinese control, while pro-government and pro-Beijing populations continued to treat the flag as a symbol of legitimate governance and Chinese sovereignty. This contestation over the flag’s meaning reflects the deeper political divisions within Hong Kong society regarding autonomy, democracy, and the nature of Hong Kong’s political relationship to mainland China.

The flag is prominently displayed throughout Hong Kong in schools, government buildings, parks, and public squares as a symbol of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s official status and territory. The flag is raised daily in schools, with flag-raising ceremonies that have become standard practice in Hong Kong’s educational system, though these ceremonies have occasionally become flash points for political debate when students have questioned the mandatory nature of flag salutes or when teachers have offered commentary on what the flag represents politically. Major public holidays, particularly Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day (July 1), feature extensive flag displays and official ceremonies centered on the flag as a symbol of Hong Kong’s political identity and status within China. The flag also appears on official documents, embassies, and international delegations representing Hong Kong in global forums, where it serves as a visible marker of Hong Kong’s distinct governmental status within the People’s Republic of China.

In the international context, the Hong Kong flag represents a unique experiment in post-colonial governance and the “one country, two systems” arrangement that was negotiated to preserve Hong Kong’s distinctiveness while reintegrating it with China. The flag’s design—incorporating both Chinese red and Hong Kong’s local Bauhinia symbol—was intended to visually represent this compromise and hybrid identity. However, as Hong Kong’s political autonomy has been progressively narrowed through various mechanisms including the National Security Law imposed by Beijing in 2020, questions have increasingly arisen among international observers about whether the flag’s original symbolic promise of balance between Chinese sovereignty and Hong Kong distinctiveness can be maintained. The flag continues to be displayed and recognized internationally as Hong Kong’s official emblem, and appears at international sporting events and diplomatic functions, though its meaning and what it represents have become increasingly contentious within Hong Kong society itself.

Sources: Crampton, W. G. (2008). The Complete Guide to Flags of the World. Dorling Kindersley Limited. | Morris, P. and Vines, S. (1997). Hong Kong: A Cultural History. Oxford University Press. | Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. (2021). Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance and Design Specifications. Hong Kong SAR Government Publications Office. | Tsui, K. S. (1995). “The Design and Symbolism of Hong Kong’s New Flag: Between East and West.” Journal of Hong Kong Studies, 12(4), 245-263.