The existing Hong Kong honours system was created after the transfer of government of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China as a special administrative region in 1997. Before that, Hong Kong was a British dependent territory and followed the British honours system.
The Hong Kong SAR government releases an annual Honours List, which is published in the Government Gazette on Establishment Day (1 July).
Types of awards
General Medals
The Grand Bauhinia Medal The Grand Bauhinia Medal, the highest award under the HKSAR honours and awards system, is to recognise the selected person's lifelong and highly significant contribution to the well-being of Hong Kong. The awardee is entitled to the postnominal letters GBM and the style The Honourable. (Bauhinia, Bauhinia blakeana, is the floral emblem of Hong Kong.)
The Bauhinia Star The Order of the Bauhinia Star has three classes: Gold, Silver and Bronze.
The Gold Bauhinia Star (GBS) is awarded to eminent persons who have given very distinguished services to the community or who have rendered public or voluntary services of a very high degree of merit.
The Silver Bauhinia Star (SBS) is awarded to persons who have taken a leading part in public affairs and/or voluntary work over a long period of time.
The Bronze Bauhinia Star (BBS) is awarded to persons who have given outstanding service over a long period of time, but in a more limited field or way than that required for the Silver Bauhinia Star.
The Medal of Honour The Medal of Honour (MH) is the basic award under the honours system and is awarded in recognition of community service in a district or in a particular field over a long period of time. It is also awarded to non-directorate civil servants who have served with distinction.
Gallantry Medals
The Medal for Bravery The Medal for Bravery is awarded for display of bravery in an incident. It too has three classes, Gold, Silver and Bronze.
The Medal for Bravery (Gold) is awarded for acts of gallantry of the greatest possible heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger.
The Medal for Bravery (Silver) is awarded for gallantry of an extremely high order.
The Medal for Bravery (Bronze) is awarded for exemplary acts of gallantry of a lesser standard.
Disciplined Services and ICAC Medals The Disciplined Services and ICAC Awards are awarded to officers of the six major disciplined formations as well as the Independent Commission Against Corruption. The disciplined formations are the Hong Kong Police, Hong Kong Fire Services, Hong Kong Immigration Service, Hong Kong Customs and Excise, Hong Kong Correctional Services, and the Government Flying Service. These awards replace the colonial awards issued before July 1997 that had profile of the reigning monarch and different ribbons. There are three types of awards:
Distinguished service medals Hong Kong Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PDSM) Hong Kong Fire Services Medal for Distinguished Service (FSDSM) Hong Kong Immigration Service Medal for Distinguished Service (IDSM) Hong Kong Customs and Excise Medal for Distinguished Service (CDSM) Hong Kong Correctional Services Medal for Distinguished Service (CSDSM) Government Flying Service Medal for Distinguished Service (GDSM) Hong Kong ICAC Medal for Distinguished Service (IDS)
Meritorious service medals Hong Kong Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PMSM) Hong Kong Fire Services Medal for Meritorious Service (FSMSM) Hong Kong Immigration Service Medal for Meritorious Service (IMSM) Hong Kong Customs and Excise Medal for Meritorious Service (CMSM) Hong Kong Correctional Services Medal for Meritorious Service (CSMSM) Government Flying Service Medal for Meritorious Service (GMSM) Hong Kong ICAC Medal for Meritorious Service (IMS)
Long service medals and clasps Hong Kong Police long service medals and clasps Hong Kong Auxiliary Police long service medals and clasps Hong Kong Fire Services long service medals and clasps Hong Kong Correctional Services long service medals and clasps Hong Kong Immigration Service long service medals and clasps Hong Kong Customs and Excise long service medals and clasps Government Flying Service Long Service Medal Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption Long Service Medal Hong Kong Auxiliary Medical Services long service medals and clasps Civil Aid Service long service medals and clasps
Other Medals Other medals have been created and awarded to mainly disciplined forces personnel including:
境外救援行動章 (Direct translation: Overseas Rescue Operation Medal) (A star is attached for each mission) Operation TIDERIDER Medal (Orange Stripe for "Courage", and Purple Stripe for "Wisdom"). Medal for Safeguarding National Security
General awards These awards consists of a framed certificate with the Emblem of Hong Kong, name of the award in English and Chinese, name of the recipient (Chinese or English) commending their extraordinary contribution to the community, government or public service:
Chief Executive's Commendation for Community Service Chief Executive's Commendation for Government and Public Service
Order of precedence The order of precedence is listed as follows in postnominals: GBM, GBS, MBG, SBS, MBS, BBS, MBB, MH, JP.
Nomination and awarding The nomination is usually made by SAR Government departments, and evaluated by the Honours Committee. The annual Honours List is published in the Gazette of the SAR Government on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day (1 July)
Orders, decorations and medals of British Hong Kong List of awards available to people in Hong Kong prior to 30 June 1997: See Modern Honours from the United Kingdom See Chivalry orders from the United Kingdom Hong Kong Disciplined Services Medal – for long service and good conduct in the disciplined services between 1986 and 1997.
Recipients of colonial Hong Kong gallantry awards
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/medals-campaigns-descriptions-and-eligibility#decorations-gallantry-and-distinguished-conduct-medals
Orders, Decorations and Medals conferred on Hong Kong residents or in respect of Hong Kong service up to 30 June 1997:
Victoria Cross (VC)John Robert Osborn (1941)
George Cross (GC)Mateen Ahmed Ansari (1946)Douglas Ford (1946)John Alexander Fraser MC & Bar (1946)Hector Bertram Gray AFM (1946)Lanceray Arthur Newnham (1946)Joseph Hughes (1946)
Distinguished Service Order (DSO)Henry William Moncrieff Stewart OBE, MC (1946)Wells Arnold Bishop (1946)Ernest Hodkinson (1946)Cecil Robert Templer (1946)Evan George Stewart (1946)Arthur John Dewar (1946)
Order of the British Empire (CBE) for GallantryAlfred Creighton Collinson (1946)Andrew Peffers OBE (1946)
Order of the British Empire (OBE) for GallantryOsmonde Hedworth Farrar (1930)Lindsay Tasman Ride (1942)Keble Theodore Andrews-Levinge (1946)Eustace Levett (1946)John Herbert Price MC (1946)
Order of the British Empire (MBE) for GallantrySher Singh (1945)Victor Stanley Ebbage BEM (1945)Hargraves Milne Howell (1945)William Nichols (1945)Harry Charles Spong(1945)David Louis Strellett (1945)Charles Gentry Turner (1945)Feroze Khan (1945)Sister Elizabeth Mosey (1946)Stanley Gordon Woods (1968)Frederick John Preston (1973)
Indian Order of Merit (IOM)Ali Mohd (1946)Phul Singh (1946)Nawaz Khan (1946)Lakhu Singh (1946)
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)William Morley Wright (1942)John Christian Bolder DSC & Bar (1942) Arthur Luard Pears (1942)Bruce Graham Clarke (1946)
Royal Red Cross – Member (RRC)Sister Mary Ann Lockerbie Currie (née Davies; 1946)Sister Margaret Anna North (1946)
Military Cross (MC)E.W.M.L. Corbally (1942)R.H.D. Scriven (1942)Ivan Bernard Trevor (1942)David Ronald Holmes (1943)K.A. Munro (1943) P. Steyn (1944)R.A.S. Lane (1944)J.S. McKay (1945)James Allan Ford (1945) Abdul Jabaar (1945)Khan Sherrin (1945)Martin Pryce Weedon (1945)John Stanley Marcus Vintner (1945)Robert Leslie Berridge (1945)Caesar Edward Orway (1945)David Pinkerton (1945)Christopher Mark Maurice Man (1945)Frederick Temple Atkinson (1945)Uriah Laite (1945)Robert William Philip (1945)Thomas Alexander Blackwood (1945)Collison Alexander Blaver (1945)William Francis Nugent (1945)Francis Gavan Power (1945)Michael George Carruthers (1945)B.C. Field (1945)Ivor Phillip Tamworth (1945)E.B. Teesdale (1945)Mehr Khan (1945)Shah Mohamed (1945)Kampta Phasad (1945)Haider Rehman Khan (1945)David Clive Crosby Trench (Solomon Islands; 1946)G.D.M. Williams (1965)
Air Force Cross (AFC)Danny Cheung Kwong (1965)Richard Paul Seymour (1973)Peter Stephen Boyland (1992)Christopher Jeremy Spencer Fynes (1993)Steven Derek Murkin (1993)
Royal Red Cross – Associate (ARRC)Sister Edith Butlin (1946)Sister Gwendoline Colthorpe (1946)Sister Edith Freda Davies (1946)Sister Kathleen Georgina Christie (1946)Sister Anna May Waters (1946)
Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM)Kishen Singh (1917)Rur Singh (1917)M.J. Muldowney (1920)Colin Alden Standish (1920)Derek Everard Rix (1920)Arthur David Manning (1920)Albert Edward Miller (1920)Thomas F. Stainton (1920)Charles Albert Clark (1920)Ronald John Routledge (1946)
George Medal (GM)N.G.A. Noble (1947)Ian P. Hyde (Malaya; 1947)Cheung On (1947)Chau Fook (1952)James Hidden (1952)Leung Yiu-tong (1953)P. Muskett (1958)William James Gorman (1960)Edward Louis Hanlon (1964) James Hall Matchett (1968) Choi Chor (1973)James Hogg Bruce (1973)John Caruth Gorman (1973)Leung Shiu-kay (1973)Chiu Yiu-nam (1983)Ng Hung-shek (1994)
King's Police Medal for Gallantry (KPM)Timothy Murphy (1923)Kenneth Andrew (1928)Roland Henry John Brooks (1947)David Loie Fook-wing (1947)Duncan George MacPherson (1947)Harold Tiplady (1949)Wong Wai Tsoi (1949)Li Fu (1949) Chiu Ho-ching (1949)
Queen's Police Medal for Gallantry (QPM)Cheng Kin Cheung (1955)
Indian Distinguished Service Medal (IDSM)Amanat Ali (1946)
Distinguished Service Medal (DSM)Bernard Charlie Lilley (1946)Albert John White (1946)
Military Medal (MM)Ghulam Mohamad (1917), Nihal Singh (1917), Lab Singh (1918), Ghulam Hussain (1918), Tika Khan (1918), A. Hutchins (1919), Patrick John Sheridan (1942), Francis Lee Yiu-piu (1942), D.I. Bosanquet (1943), W.G. Poy (1944), A.A. Iles (1944), E.G. Jones (1944), Walter Ivan Cook (1946), Charles Douglas Goddard (1946), Arthur Philip Hoxby (1946), Puran Singh (1946), Resham Khan (1946), Tularam Singh (1946), Gordon Edward Williamson (1946), Stanley Walter Wright (1946), Emile Gregory Bernard (1946), Seldon Grant Stoddard (1946), Cecil Thomas Whalen (1946), Murray Thomas Goodenough (1946), Lionel Curtis Speller (1946), Kenneth Stanley Cameron (1946), Ronald Edward Atkinson (1946), Meirion Price (1946), John Leslie Varley (1946), Ernest Irwin Bennett (1946), William Henry Morris (1946), Ban Tsan-chuen (1946), H.V. Pearse (1946), C.L. Salter (1946), C.D. Walker (1946), Victor White (1946), David William Yee (1946), Mohd Amir (1946), Alfred Thomas Goschen Lloyd (1946), Chau Sik-wah (1952), Li Hon To (1960), Lui Tong (1960).(NOTE: Further work required for 1946; see http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/37521/supplements/1672)
Air Force Medal (AFM)Keith George Thomas Sturge (1992)