Hong Kong celebrates 76th Chinese National Day

Flags and banners are displayed around Hong Kong while celebrating China's 76th National Day on October 1, 2025.

Hong Kong’s regional flag and Chinese national flag were raised at the ceremony held in Wan Chai’s Golden Bauhinia Square at 8am today to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. 

Ceremony attendees including Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and other government officials. The public watched the ceremony at a distance from Wan Chai Ferry Pier, as the government announced no public viewing area for the ceremony.

Lee Ka-chun, 16, who is a local student, said he secured a spot with his friends at the Wan Chai Ferry Pier observation deck at around 7am. 

He said it is a pity that he can only view the ceremony through his telephoto lens on a camera today, citing his past flag-raising viewing at the Tiananmen Square allowed him to be nearer to the ceremony, after passing through security checks.

During the national anthem, two helicopters hanging a Chinese national flag flew over Victoria Harbour, while ships under the Police and the Fire Services Department sailed along the harbour.

It is the first time Kai Tak Sports Park hosted a flag-raising ceremony, outside the city’s largest stadium at 11am. Free ice cream and beverages were distributed near the venue by the park’s authorities. 

Leah Zhang, 27, travelled from Jiangmen to Hong Kong for two days during the National Day Golden Week. She said she came across a social media post on RedNote about the flag-raising ceremony at Kai Tak.

“I thought more people would be here to see the flag-raising ceremony. There are only limited promotions from the Kai Tak Sports Park, which could be the reason,” said Zhang.

A firework display is held at 8pm on the same day at the Victoria Harbour. 

Starting from the evening, police adopted crowd control measures and road detours near popular viewing spots, including Tsim Sha Tsui, Wan Chai and Central until the crowd disperses.

On the National Day, unlimited free rides on tramways and three ferry routes are offered to citizens. The government subsidises movie tickets at half of their original price.

According to the Immigration Department, more than 550,000 people passed through any of the border controls in Hong Kong as of 6pm today.