Colonial badge 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 with a
flag of the Qing dynasty backed by conical hills. Above was the
royal arms of the United Kingdom.
Colonial arms 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'. The two junks symbolise the importance of Eastern-type of trade on the sea surrounding the colony. The naval crown symbolises Hong Kong's links with the
Navy and the
Merchant Navy, and the crenulated line acknowledges the brief but valiant defence of Hong Kong against the Japanese during
World War II. In the crest, the pearl held by the lion indicates the small but precious nature of the Colony. It also recalls the romanticised phrase "Pearl of the Orient" referring to Hong Kong. The lion and dragon supporters show the British and Chinese connections of Hong Kong. The island symbolises the beginning of the colony as an island and represents the maritime and hilly
geography of Hong Kong. The small lion standing on the crest alone had featured on the
reverse of
Hong Kong coinage before the introduction of the Bauhinia design in preparation for the
handover in 1997. The colonial arms has been adopted by a group called the
Hong Kong Autonomy Movement (HKAM) as their flag for Hong Kong autonomy. The flag features the old coat of arms against a blue background, with the territory's Chinese name "香港" (in reverse form) added to the shield.
Display During British rule, the coat of arms were displayed by
Government House, the
Legislative Council, most
courts, and the
Central Government Offices. The arms were also in use by aircraft of the
Government Flying Service. ==Current emblem==