Hong Kong

(from http://www.hk1997.china.com/english/97news/jun_archives/970606.146.html ):

The correct use of the Chinese national flag and the regional flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) have been determined in regulations passed by the 58th executive meeting of the State Council, held here [in Beijing] on Thursday.

In accordance with the National Flag Law of the People's Republic of China, the regulations demand that when the national flag and regional flag of the Hong Kong SAR are raised or used at the same time, the national flag should be at the central, a higher or prominent position.

When the two flags are used at the same time and placed side by side, the national flag should be larger than the regional flag, with the national flag taking the right position and the regional flag taking the left.

In procession, the national flag should be raised in front of the regional flag, according to the regulations.

The regulations will be put into effect on July 1.

Thanh-Tâm Lê, 22 December 1998

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On 10 Nov. 1999, Jan Oskar Engene sent to FOTW the Chinese law on National Flag :..Article 11 Measures for the display of the National Flag by civilian vessels or foreign vessels entering Chinese territorial waters.. On 1 December 1998, Lloyd's List advertised for the Hong Kong shipping register with a picture of the Chinese National Flag over the Bauhinia Flag. On 1 December 2000, the same newspaper had a photo of Hong Kong MV "Xin Qiang", showing the Chinese National Flag over the Bauhinia Flag.

Yet on 6 February 2001, the same newspaper had a photo of Hong Kong MV "MSC Hamburg", showing the Bauhinia Flag alone. On 2 February 1999, the French Consul General in Hong Kong sent me two photos of launches in Hong Kong harbour showing Bauhinia Flag alone.

So, I think that in practice both possibilities exist for the Civil Ensign, the Bauhinia Flag alone or the Bauhinia Flag under the Chinese national Flag
Armand du Payrat, 28 June 2001

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The Hong Kong SAR flag and emblem were adopted on Feb 16th 1990 and passed the preparatory committee of Hong Kong SAR on Aug 10th 1996 and first officially hoisted on Jul 1st 1997 when Hong Kong was returned from the U.K. to China.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 21 August 2004

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The flag was adopted and by the committee which was drafting the Basic Law of the future region. Ordinance No. 117 dated on the date of return to Chinese rule, confirmed the flag and gave detailed construction details in Appendix 2.
Christopher Southworth, 22 August 2004

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The flower on the flag is the Hong Kong Orchid Tree (Bauhinia Blakeana) - named after the British Governor of Hong Kong from 1898 to 1903, Sir Henry Blake, a keen botanist who discovered it near Pokfulam, Hong Kong Island, in 1880.

The actual flowers are bright pinkish purple, not white as on the flag.

If I remember my botany it is normally sterile and can only be propagated by cuttings (there is one tree that is said to produce seeds). Actually it is neither a tree nor an orchid, it's a member of the class leguminosae (the pea family). The genus is named in honor of the Swiss botanists of the 16th and 17th centuries, the Bauhin brothers.
Graham Bartram, 20 August 2004