Hong Kong marked the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on Thursday, October 1, with a flag-raising ceremony, an official reception and an unusual message from space. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu used the occasion to reflect on China’s transformation over seven decades, while Hong Kong payload specialist Lai Ka-ying sent National Day greetings from aboard the Tiangong space station.
The day’s official celebrations began at 8am at Golden Bauhinia Square, where the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government held a flag-raising ceremony attended by senior officials, dignitaries and members of uniformed groups.
The ceremony was closed to the public. Following the flag-raising, guests moved into the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for a National Day reception, where Lee addressed those gathered and spoke about China’s development since the establishment of the People’s Republic in 1949.
John Lee reflects on 77 years of national development
Lee described the past 77 years as a period in which the Chinese nation had moved through several stages of development, from standing up to becoming prosperous and, ultimately, stronger.
His remarks placed Hong Kong’s development within the wider story of China’s economic and national progress. He also pointed to the opportunities created by the country’s continued development and the role Hong Kong can play in that process.
The chief executive said the Hong Kong government had formulated the city’s First Five-Year Plan after reviewing its existing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
The plan is intended to help Hong Kong respond to changes in the national and international environment while making fuller use of opportunities linked to China’s development.
Lee said the government would seek to seize those opportunities fully and swiftly. His comments reflected the administration’s emphasis on connecting Hong Kong’s future development with broader national priorities.
The National Day reception therefore carried a message that went beyond the anniversary itself. It provided an opportunity for Hong Kong officials to reaffirm the city’s relationship with the country and to discuss how the territory can participate in the next stage of national development.
National Day message arrives from Tiangong
While officials gathered in Hong Kong, Lai Ka-ying marked the same occasion from hundreds of kilometres above Earth.
Lai, a Hong Kong payload specialist involved in China’s manned space programme, recorded a video message aboard the Tiangong space station to mark National Day. Her message gave the anniversary celebrations a distinctly different setting, linking Hong Kong’s observance with China’s expanding presence in space.
Lai said she felt immense excitement and pride at being able to celebrate National Day while in orbit.
Her message also reflected on the development of China’s aerospace programme. She described the country’s achievements in space as the result of continued perseverance and the ability to overcome difficulties step by step.
For Lai, the experience was personal as well as national. Taking part in the manned space programme had given her a direct view of the country’s technological development, she said.
She pointed to the precision instruments used aboard the space station and the experiments carried out there as examples of Chinese manufacturing and technological innovation.
Every operation, from handling sophisticated equipment to conducting scientific experiments, represented years of technical development and preparation. From her position aboard Tiangong, Lai said she could feel the pace of that national progress.
Her message also brought a Hong Kong connection into one of China’s most closely watched scientific programmes.
Hong Kong’s place in China’s development
Lai also used her National Day message to express appreciation for the central government’s support for Hong Kong and Macao.
She described that national backing as the greatest support and foundation for the two special administrative regions.
The remarks echoed the broader theme of Thursday’s celebrations: Hong Kong’s future is closely connected to China’s national development, while the city continues to maintain its own role as a special administrative region.
For Hong Kong, National Day ceremonies have traditionally provided an opportunity for government officials and community representatives to reflect on the city’s relationship with the mainland and the country’s wider development.
This year’s celebrations added another element through Lai’s message from Tiangong. Instead of speaking from a government building or a ceremonial venue, she delivered her greetings from a national space station, offering a direct connection between Hong Kong and China’s manned space programme.
That setting also gave the anniversary a technological dimension. The flag-raising ceremony in Hong Kong represented the formal beginning of the day’s celebrations, while Lai’s video from orbit offered a reminder of the scientific and engineering work taking place beyond Earth.
A National Day marked on Earth and in orbit
The contrast between the two events was striking. In Hong Kong, officials gathered at Golden Bauhinia Square for a formal ceremony before attending a reception. In orbit, Lai represented another part of China’s national development story through her participation in the space programme.
Both messages centred on progress, although they came from very different settings.
Lee focused on the country’s transformation over 77 years and the opportunities that development creates for Hong Kong. Lai spoke from direct experience of the country’s aerospace ambitions, pointing to the equipment, experiments and technical achievements she encountered aboard Tiangong.
Together, the messages connected Hong Kong’s National Day observance with wider national priorities, from economic planning and development to scientific research and space exploration.
The anniversary also gave the Hong Kong government an opportunity to present its First Five-Year Plan as part of its response to those changing opportunities. Lee’s remarks indicated that the administration intends to use an assessment of Hong Kong’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to guide its strategic decisions.
Meanwhile, Lai’s message offered a very different perspective on the same national story. From orbit, she described the progress she had witnessed through the manned space programme and expressed pride in the work of Chinese scientists, engineers and manufacturers.
As Hong Kong concluded its official National Day events, the celebrations had brought together two images of China’s development: a formal ceremony in the heart of the city and a message delivered from a space station above Earth.
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