Emblem of Hong Kong

Regional Emblem of Hong Kong 香港特別行政區區徽
Details
Armiger	Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
Adopted	1997
Escutcheon	Bauhinia blakeana

Coat of arms of Hong Kong 香港盾徽
Versions
Lesser coat of arms of Hong Kong unofficial, used by the Scout Association of Hong Kong
Details
Armiger	British Hong Kong
Crest	A demi lion Or royally crowned proper holding between the paws a pearl also proper.
Escutcheon	Argent on water barry wavy in base proper two three-masted Chinese junks in full sail bows inwards also proper on a chief embattled Gules a Naval Crown Or.
Supporters	On the dexter side a lion Or royally crowned proper and on the sinister side a Chinese Dragon Gold together with a motto inscribed with the words Hong Kong.

The Regional Emblem of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China came into use on 1 July 1997, after the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong from the British to the People's Republic of China.

The 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 and the English short form, "Hong Kong".

The colonial badge was in use since 1843 in one version or another until it was replaced by the coat of arms granted in 1959. Throughout several revisions, the idea of the badge remained. It depicted three merchants and a pile of cargo on a wharf on the left in the foreground. In the background there was a square-rigged ship and a Chinese junk in the harbour backed by conical hills. Above was the royal arms of the United Kingdom.

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 of that year. The use of the arms by the Hong Kong Government ended in 1997, when it was replaced by the regional emblem. The arms featured two traditional Chinese junks facing each other, and on a red embattled chief a golden naval crown. The crest was a crowned lion holding a pearl, and the supporters were a crowned British lion and a Chinese dragon. The shield and supporters stood on a compartment, consisting of an island, with a scroll bearing the words 'Hong Kong'.