page_title: Half-mast
section_title: Hong Kong
hierarchical_section_title: Half-mast / Hong Kong
caption_attribution_description: 中文: 金紫荊廣場的中國國旗和香港區旗，以下半旗方式向四川大地震死難者致哀。 English: Flags of PRC and HKSAR in Golden Bauhinia Square flying at half-staff for mourning victims killed in the Sichuan Earthquake.
context_page_description: Half-mast or half-staff refer to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salute. Most English-speaking countries use the term half-mast in all instances. In the United States, this refers officially only to flags flown on ships, with half-staff used on land.
  The tradition of flying the flag at half-mast began in the 17th century. According to some sources, the flag is lowered to make room for an "invisible flag of death" flying above. However, there is disagreement about where on a flagpole a flag should be when it is at half-mast. It is often recommended that a flag at half-mast be lowered only as much as the hoist, or width, of the flag. British flag protocol is that a flag should be flown no less than two-thirds of the way up the flagpole, with at least the height of the flag between the top of the flag and the top of the pole. It is common for the phrase to be taken literally and for a flag to be flown only halfway up a flagpole, although some authorities deprecate that practice.
context_section_description: Similar rules as in China apply for Hong Kong. See Flag of Hong Kong for details. Prior to the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, the rules for flying the flag at half-mast were the same as the British ones.
  The HKSAR flag was flown at half-mast on 24–26 August 2010, for the fatalities of the Hong Thai Travel tourists in the 2010 Manila hostage crisis.
  The national flag of the PRC was also flown at half-mast on 26 August in Hong Kong.
  The HKSAR flag was flown at half-mast on 4–6 October 2012, for the Lamma Ferry Accident victims in which 39 people died.
caption: Hong Kong SAR flag flown at half mast
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