Official Ceremony to Commemorate Those Who Gave Their Lives in the Defence of Hong Kong

Commemorative Ceremony | 2026-05-26

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government hold an official commemorative ceremony for the first time at 9:00 a.m. on Chung Yeung Festival (Wednesday, 28 October) at the Memorial Garden of Hong Kong City Hall to honour those who lost their lives during the defence of Hong Kong between 1941 and 1945. The ceremony became an annual event.

The Chief Executive, senior government officials, representatives of the judiciary, representatives of offices of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, foreign diplomatic representatives, community leaders, veterans' organisations, and representatives of relevant community groups attendd the ceremony.

This programme will also include a special addition. The Chief Executive will place in the memorial repository a register containing the names of 115 members of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade of the Dongjiang Column who gave their lives in the defence of Hong Kong. The register will be preserved alongside the existing Roll of Honour commemorating fallen servicemen.

In addition, a commemorative plaque bearing the Brigade's name in both Chinese and English will be displayed within the memorial repository.

The Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade was a guerrilla force that operated within Japanese-occupied Hong Kong from late 1941 until 1945. The majority of its members were local residents, many of whom came from the New Territories.

26 October 1998 (Monday)