Cultural · Wan Chai

Hong Kong Convention Centre: Midnight Handover

12-second silence ended empire

July 1, 1997, 00:00:00. At this exact spot, 156 years of British rule ended. The Union Jack was lowered to "God Save the Queen." A 12-second hiatus between anthems - longer than planned. Prince Charles watched the empire end.

What to do there

3 things to do

Enter the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) at 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai. The Grand Hall where the ceremony took place is sometimes accessible during non-event periods. At 11:59 PM on June 30, 1997, British flags were lowered to "God Save the Queen." At 00:00:00, sovereignty transferred after 156 years. A famous 12-second gap occurred between the British anthem ending and the Chinese anthem starting.
Backup: If Grand Hall is closed for events, walk the exterior promenade - you're still at the exact location where history happened.

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Walk outside to Golden Bauhinia Square. The 6-meter golden flower statue was gifted by China to mark the handover. A flag-raising ceremony happens here daily at 7:50 AM (8:00 AM on first of month with full ceremony). Prince Charles, Tony Blair, Chris Patten, and 4,000 guests watched history unfold steps from here.
Backup: The statue is outdoors and always visible, even at night when it's illuminated.

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Look out over Victoria Harbour from the promenade. The Royal Yacht Britannia sailed away from here shortly after 1:00 AM, carrying Prince Charles and Governor Chris Patten into the rain and darkness as "Rule, Britannia!" played. The Empire was over.
Backup: The best photos come from the waterfront east of the Convention Centre, near the Harbour Grand hotel.

Log Memory