Hong Kong returns to Chinese rule after 156 years of British colonialism

At the stroke of midnight on July 1, 1997, Hong Kong entered a new era as it returned to Chinese rule after 156 years of British colonial administration. The handover ceremony at the Convention and Exhibition Centre featured the lowering of British and Hong Kong flags and the raising of those of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. President Jiang Zemin, the first Chinese head of state to visit Hong Kong, flew in after Governor Chris Patten bid a tearful farewell at Government House. In a key statement, Jiang stressed that central government departments would not intervene in SAR affairs as called for by the Basic Law, pledging that this 'must be achieved and will be achieved.'

Following the flag change, swearing-in ceremonies were held for Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, senior officials, the Judiciary, and the provisional legislature during the early hours. The day was packed with emotion, including a fireworks display for the British farewell at Victoria Harbour on June 30. The handover marked the launch of Hong Kong's 'one country, two systems' framework, a historic experiment designed to preserve the city's capitalist system and way of life for 50 years. The event was a major geopolitical milestone, ending over a century of British rule and symbolizing China's growing global influence.