Hong Kong Holds State Funeral for Former Leader Tung Chee-hwa

Hong Kong has held a state funeral for Tung Chee-hwa, the city’s first chief executive after its return to Chinese rule in 1997.

Senior Chinese and Hong Kong officials gathered at the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point on Sunday to pay their final respects to Tung, who died on September 8 at the age of 89.

Tung was selected by a Beijing-appointed committee in 1996 to lead Hong Kong following the handover from Britain. A shipping tycoon with limited political experience, he became the territory’s first chief executive in 1997.

During his tenure, Tung faced major challenges including the Asian financial crisis, the 2003 SARS outbreak and large-scale protests over proposed national security legislation.

The protests forced his administration to shelve the legislation. Tung was re-elected unopposed in 2002 but resigned in 2005, midway through his second term, citing health reasons. His resignation was widely viewed at the time as reflecting Beijing’s loss of confidence in his leadership.

Following his departure, Tung served as a vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) until 2023.

The funeral committee, comprising 87 members and chaired by senior Chinese Communist Party official Shi Taifeng, highlighted the strong official backing for the ceremony.

Among those attending were Shi Taifeng, Xia Baolong, Beijing’s top official for Hong Kong and Macau affairs, current Chief Executive John Lee, former chief executives Leung Chun-ying, Carrie Lam and Donald Tsang, as well as prominent political and business figures.

Tung’s coffin, draped in China’s national flag, was carried from the funeral home by pallbearers including Lee and Leung before being taken to Cape Collinson Crematorium.

Tung was only the third person to receive a state funeral in Hong Kong since the city was returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Chinese state media described him as a “renowned patriot”, while former chief executive Donald Tsang praised him as a gentle and broad-minded leader with a far-reaching vision.

Critics, however, described Tung’s tenure as a period marked by governance difficulties and significant public dissatisfaction.