Coat of arms of Hong Kong

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Hong Kong Emblem (since 1997)

The Coat of arms of Hong Kong is the current devised emblem that came into use on July 1, 1997, when the sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred to the People's Republic of China, and the emblem replaced the colonial Hong Kong Arms, or Armorial Bearings. The emblem is now referred officially as the "Regional Emblem".

The regional emblem features the same design elements as the regional Flag of Hong Kong in a circular setting. The outer white ring is shown with the caption of the official name of the territory in traditional Chinese characters (as opposed to the simplified form): "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China" and the English short form, "Hong Kong".

[edit] Colonial Arms, (Armorial Bearings)

Hong Kong Armorial Bearings (1959-1997)

Colony Armorial Bearings

The arms had been in use in colonial Hong Kong since it was granted on 21 January 1959 and later adopted on the colonial flag in July that year. The use of the arms ended in 1997 where it was replaced by the regional emblem. The Armorial Bearings features a shield bearing two traditional Chinese junks facing each other. Inside the chief (red portion) is a naval crown in gold. The 'embattled' (castle-like) design separates the chief from the rest of the shield. The crest features a lion holding a pearl. The shield is supported by a lion and a dragon standing on a heraldic island bearing a banner written with "HONG KONG".

The two junks symbolise the importance of trade and the raison d'être of the colony. The naval crown symbolises Hong Kong's link with the Navy and Merchant Navy, and the battlements commemorate the defence of Hong Kong during World War II. The pearl held by the royal lion wearing the imperial crown in the crest personifies the familiar romanticised phrase "Pearl of the Orient" referring to Hong Kong. The lion and dragon supporters show the British and Chinese (local) aspects of Hong Kong. The island symbolises the beginning of the colony as an island and represents the maritime and hilly geography of Hong Kong. Some nationalists consider the design as an insult somehow: the pearl (Hong Kong) originally in the left forelimb of the dragon (China) is now given to the lion (Britain).

The crest alone had been featured on the reverse of Hong Kong coinage before the introduction of the Bauhinia design in preparation of the 1997 Handover.

[edit] Colonial Badge

The colonial seal badge was in use since 1843 in one version or another until it was replaced by the Armorial Bearings granted in 1959. Throughout several revisions, the idea of the seal remained. It depicted a local scene on the left foreground three local merchants and a pile of cargo on what appears to be a wharf. In the background are a square-rigged ship and a Chinese junk in the harbour backed by conical hills.