Flag of Hong Kong

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 flower in the centre of a Chinese red field. The design of the flag is enshrined in Hong Kong Basic Law, the territory's constitutional document, and regulations regarding its use, prohibition of use, desecration, and manufacture are stated in the Regional Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance.

The design of the flag comes with cultural, political, and regional meanings. The colour itself is significant; red is a festive colour for the Chinese people, used to convey a sense of celebration and nationalism. Moreover, the red colour is identical to that used in the national flag of the People's Republic of China, chosen to signify the link re-established between post-colonial Hong Kong and mainland China. The position of red and white on the flag symbolises the "one country, two systems" political principle applied to the region. The stylised rendering of the Bauhinia × blakeana flower, a flower discovered in Hong Kong, is meant to serve as a harmonising symbol for this dichotomy. The five stars of the Chinese national flag are replicated on the petals of the flower. The Chinese name of Bauhinia × blakeana is most commonly rendered as yángzǐjīng (洋紫荊), but is often shortened to zǐjīng (紫荊/紫荆) in official uses since yáng (洋) means "foreign" in Chinese, notwithstanding that the shortened name refers to another genus, Cercis. A sculpture of the plant has been erected in Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong. The regional flag carries a design of five bauhinia petals, each with…