In Pictures: Hong Kong pays final respects to former city leader Tung Chee-hwa
Hong Kong officials and the public commemorated the city’s first post-colonial leader, Tung Chee-hwa, at his funeral on Sunday, AFP journalists saw. Tung, who died this month at the age of 89, was a former shipping tycoon hand-picked by Beijing to run Hong Kong after the former British colony’s handover to Chinese rule in 1997. […]
Hong Kong officials and citizens gathered on Sunday to pay final respects to the city's inaugural post-colonial leader, Tung Chee-hwa, according to AFP journalists. The commemorative ceremony, held on September 20, 2026, saw Tung's family, business associates, and government representatives remember the former shipping magnate, who was tapped by Beijing to govern Hong Kong following its return to Chinese control in 1997.
The staunch conservative held the post for eight years before resigning in 2005 amid large-scale protests.
Tung's casket, bearing the Chinese national flag, was transported from the Hong Kong Funeral Home to a crematorium on Sunday, witnessed by AFP reporters. The memorial featured a portrait of the late leader, dressed in his trademark crew cut, surrounded by white orchids, symbolizing love and respect. Chief Executive John Lee and other dignitaries, including a Politburo member and No.1 vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Shi Taifeng, attended the solemn event.
Hundreds of wreaths, presented by government officials and business leaders, adorned the street in front of the memorial hall.
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