Hong Kong Honors Tung Chee-hwa, First Post-Colonial Leader, in State Funeral

Hong Kong held a state funeral for Tung Chee-hwa, the city's first post-colonial leader, as officials and citizens paid tribute to his legacy.

Editorial Desk

September 20, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Hong Kong, China — Hong Kong held a state funeral on Sunday for Tung Chee-hwa, the city’s first post-colonial leader, who guided it through its transition from British rule to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.

Tung, who served as Hong Kong’s chief executive from 1997 to 2005, passed away on September 8 at the age of 89. His tenure was marked by challenges including the Asian financial crisis, the SARS epidemic, and public protests over proposed legislation that raised concerns about civil liberties.

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Chinese officials from Beijing, along with Hong Kong political leaders, attended the service, which was the third state funeral in the former British colony since the 1997 handover. The event highlighted Tung’s role in shaping the one-country, two-systems framework that governs Hong Kong and Macao.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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