The Hong Kong government spent more than HK$24 million on national and regional flags, banners, lamppost bunting, and other festive displays to mark China’s National Day on October 1.
Around 130,000 festive articles were put up across the city to celebrate 76 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), costing taxpayers approximately HK$24.6 million in total, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) told HKFP on Friday.
The display of China’s national flags and Hong Kong’s regional flags was the most expensive item, costing HK$8.5 million. It was followed by HK$4.9 million spent on banners and HK$3 million on lighting.
The government said the costs were “absorbed by respective [bureaux and departments] from within their existing resource.”
| Type of festive display | Amount (HK$ million) |
| National flags and regional flags | 8.5 |
| Banners | 4.9 |
| Stickers | 2.3 |
| Posters | 0.3 |
| Lamppost bunting | 2.1 |
| LED displays | 0.002 |
| Flower displays | 1.1 |
| Lighting | 3.0 |
| Large installations | 2.4 |
“Not only did the festive displays jointly foster an intense festive ambience across the territory, but they also helped mobilise the active participation of all sectors of the community in celebrating the National Day together so as to promote the spirit of patriotism and to cultivate a sense of national identity,” the department said in an email reply.
The government took almost two months to disclose the expenditure.
HKFP first inquired with the HAD about the costs on October 2, to which the government provided only the number of festive articles displayed without stating the cost.
The HAD initially said that National Day was an “occasion for celebration by the entire nation” and that the Hong Kong government had “all along attached great importance” to the celebration of the founding of the PRC.
HKFP filed an Access to Information request on October 3. The HAD replied on October 10 that the request “involves consultation with various parties concerned” and could not provide the requested information at that stage.
The department sent another email on October 23, informing HKFP that the information required a “longer processing time” and pledged to provide an update before November 22, in accordance with the Code on Access to Information.
The streets of Hong Kong had already turned into a sea of red by late September as the city geared up to celebrate China’s National Day.
Apart from Chinese and Hong Kong flags, posters, banners, and light installations were displayed at government buildings, schools, main roads, footbridges, and other premises across the city.
The HAD said at the time that the decorations were installed by district offices, which also organised a series of activities such as carnivals, football matches, and music and dance performances to mark the day. Some commercial buildings and shopping malls also took part in the decorations.
In 2023, an Access to Information request by HKFP revealed that the government spent HK$31.2 million of taxpayers’ money on more than 120,000 festive items displayed at around 3,000 locations across the city to mark National Day that year.
