Hong Kong returned to China on 1 July 1997, when Chinese sovereignty over the territory was formally resumed after more than 150 years of British rule.

Key date and event

  • The official handover took place at midnight between 30 June and 1 July 1997, during a ceremony in Hong Kong attended by senior British and Chinese leaders.
  • From 1 July 1997, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of China under the “one country, two systems” framework.

What changed after 1997

  • China resumed sovereignty and overall governing authority, while Hong Kong retained its own legal system, currency, and many existing institutions for 50 years after the handover, as outlined in the Sino‑British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.
  • 1 July is now marked each year as Hong Kong SAR Establishment Day, a public holiday commemorating the return to China.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.