List of events
Events in the year 2023 in Hong Kong .
6 January: The largest trial for the national security law against 47 pro-democracy activists begins in Hong Kong two years after their arrest.[ 1]
23 February : All SIM Card users (including old SIM card registered before 1 March 2022) requires real name registration.[ 2]
1 March : The Hong Kong Government lifts all mandatory mask-wearing requirements, and dropped all COVID-19 Restriction Law.[ 3] [ 4]
2 May : The government propose 2023 Hong Kong electoral changes . Direct elected seats decreased from 452 out of 479 (94%) to 88 out of 470 (19%), and will establish the District Council Eligibility Review Committee for review the eligibility of every District Council Candidates.
3 July : The police reward 1 million Hong Kong Dollars for arrest of 8 people who violate the Hong Kong National Security Law.[ 5]
6 July : The 2023 Hong Kong electoral changes confirmed and approved by Legislative Council.[ 6]
10 July: The final version of 2023 Hong Kong electoral changes officially published and effective.[ 7] [ 8]
1 September: Hong Kong raises its typhoon warning signal to level 10, the highest level, as Super Typhoon Saola approaches.[ 9]
7 – 8 September: After Typhon Haikui makes landfall Hong Kong , flooding reaches record levels, the heaviest since meteorological records began when measured by one hour rainfall. (Recorded 158mm rainfall on Hong Kong Observatory headquarter between 7 September 23:00 and 8 September 00:00).[ 10]
8 September: MTR awards the contract for the design and construction of Kwu Tung station on the MTR Northern Link of the East Rail line to Bouygues .[ 11]
13 October : The Government published gazette notice to announce 1 April 2024 as the day to implement municipal solid waste (MSW) charging.[ 12]
18 October : Hong Kong Legislative Council passed a bill banning restaurants from providing single-use plastic tableware, tentative effective on 22 April 2024.[ 13]
25 October: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announces plans to formulate a new local version national security law by implementing basic law article 23 to supplement existing Hong Kong national security law in 2024, making two national security law co-exists together once the new law pass.[ 14]
10 December: The 2023 Hong Kong District Council elections were held.
14 December: Hong Kong police announce HK$ 1 million (US$ 128,000) bounties for five activists residing overseas, including Simon Cheng , charging them with inciting secession under the national security law .[ 15]
28 December: SMS Sender Registration Scheme will start implement. Under the SMS Registration scheme, SMS sender who have officially registered will have a prefix "#" in the sender IDs, while non-register sender ID will not have prefix "#".[ 16] [ 17]
Arts and entertainment [ edit ]
3 January – Joseph Koo , composer (b. 1931)[ 19]
11 January – Doming Lam , Macanese-born Hong Kong classical composer (b. 1926)[ 20]
13 January – Ray Cordeiro , broadcaster and disc jockey (b. 1924)[ 21]
21 February – Abby Choi , socialite and model (b. 1994)[ 22]
23 February – José Lei , Olympic sport shooter (1968 ) and civil servant (b. 1930)[ 23]
26 March – Peter Mak , film director (The Wicked City ) and actor (Happy Sixteen , Lai Shi, China's Last Eunuch ) (b. 1957)[ 24]
9 April – Richard Ng , actor (The Private Eyes , Winners and Sinners , Beyond the Sunset ) (b. 1939)[ 25]
24 June – Sir Ti-liang Yang , jurist, chief justice (1988–1996) (b. 1929)[ 26]
5 July – Coco Lee , Hong Kong-American singer-songwriter (Singer ) (b. 1975)[ 27]
18 August – Balltze , Shiba Inu dog and Internet meme (b. 2011)[ 28]
11 December – Kathy Chow , actress (The Breaking Point , Time Before Time , The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber ) (b. 1966)[ 29]
^ "Hong Kong: Landmark national security trial begins – DW – 02/06/2023" . dw.com . Retrieved 2023-02-06 .
^ "Real-name Registration for SIM Cards has been fully implemented!" . Office of the Communications Authority, Hong Kong Government.
^ "Government lifts all mandatory mask-wearing requirements" . HKSAR Government Press Release.
^ Ho-Him, Chan (28 December 2022). "Hong Kong abandons last Covid curbs to revive economy" . Financial Times .
^ "8 wanted for NSL offences" . news.gov.hk.
^ "Hong Kong cuts directly elected District Council seats as overhaul unanimously approved" . Hong Kong Free Press.
^ "Ordinance passed and promulgated" (PDF) . Hong Kong Gazette. 2023-07-10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-07-10.
^ "District Councils (Amendment) Ordinance 2023--Ordinance No. 19 of 2023" (PDF) . Hong Kong Government Gazette. 2023-07-10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-07-10.
^ "Typhoon Saola slams southern China after battering Hong Kong" . France 24 . 2023-09-01. Retrieved 2023-09-02 .
^ Siu, Tyrone; Master, Farah; Siu, Tyrone; Master, Farah (2023-09-08). "Hong Kong, Shenzhen deluged by heaviest rain on record" . Reuters . Retrieved 2023-09-08 .
^ "港鐵 > 招標及合約公告" . www.mtr.com.hk (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-03-26 .
^ "Waste charging starts Apr 1" . RTHK News. 2023-10-13.
^ "Hong Kong ban on throwaway plastic tableware to come into force on April 22 next year, but some lawmakers say move too close to introduction of plastic waste bag charges" . SCMP. 2023-10-18.
^ "Hong Kong's leader says to create new national security law in 2024" . France 24 . 2023-10-25. Retrieved 2023-10-25 .
^ "Hong Kong Offers Bounties for 5 Activists Accused of Security Crimes" . News18 . 2023-12-14. Retrieved 2023-12-15 .
^ "Short Message Service (SMS) Sender Registration Scheme" . Office of the Communications Authority, HKSAR Government.
^ "短訊發放人登記制月底實施 獲認證電訊商名稱將以「#」號開頭" (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). RTHK, Yahoo News.
^ "47th Hong Kong International Film Festival – Programme 2023" . Filmitalia . Retrieved 10 December 2022 .
^ "Renowned composer Joseph Koo dies at the age of 92 - RTHK" . news.rthk.hk . 4 January 2023.
^ "作曲家林樂培逝世享年96歲 曾為港台製古典音樂節目 - RTHK" . news.rthk.hk (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2023-09-02 .
^ "RTHK's 'Uncle Ray' Cordeiro dies aged 98 - RTHK" . news.rthk.hk . 14 January 2023.
^ LeeCorrespondent, Amanda (2023-02-25). "HK socialite's headless body found: 6 other gruesome murders that shocked the city" . The Straits Times . ISSN 0585-3923 . Retrieved 2023-09-02 .
^ "Olympedia – José Lei" . www.olympedia.org . Retrieved 2023-09-02 .
^ "《流星花園2》導演麥大傑過世! 柴智屏哀悼:去年7月還活力充沛" . www.mirrormedia.mg . Retrieved 2023-09-02 .
^ "Iconic Hong Kong comedian Richard Ng dies aged 83" . AsiaOne . 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2023-09-02 .
^ "消息:前最高法院首席大法官楊鐵樑逝世 終年93歲 - RTHK" . news.rthk.hk (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2023-09-02 .
^ TVBS. "快訊/李玟驚傳過世!享年48歲 親姊姊發文證實噩耗│TVBS新聞網" . TVBS (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2023-09-02 .
^ Ray, Shiladitya. "Viral meme dog Cheems dies during surgery; tributes pour in" . Deccan Herald . Retrieved 2023-09-02 .
^ "Actress Kathy Chow, 57, dies" . RTHK . 2023-12-13. Retrieved 2023-12-13 .