The flag of Hong Kong was adopted on February 16, 1990. On August 10, 1996, it received formal approval from the Preparatory Committee, a group which advised the People's Republic of China (PRC). The color of the flag is significant; red is a festive color for the Chinese people, used to convey a sense of celebration and nationalism. Moreover, the red color is identical to that used in the national PRC flag, chosen to signify the link re-established between post-colonial Hong Kong and China. The position of the red and white on the flag symbolizes the one country two systems political principle applied to the region. The stylized rendering of the Bauhinia blakeana flower, a flower discovered in Hong Kong, is meant to serve as a harmonizing symbol for this division.
