Red dawn over flag-happy SAR

The Government has bought 17,415 national flags, many of which will be fluttering - or weighed down by rain - today.

With thousands more ordered by other organisations, this morning promises to be a red dawn, with schools, hospitals, libraries and clinics among those raising the national flag for the first time.

Before the handover, the administration ordered an initial supply of 3,000 national flags plus 3,000 regional flags, and since July 1, national flags have flown from important government buildings.

This morning, they will fly above an estimated 1,500 public buildings, as specified in a circular from the Director of Administration.

The 17,415 new national flags, plus 7,955 regional flags, cost more than $700,000, or about $28 a flag, and were bought from Beijing-designated mainland suppliers.

'Some have gone to district boards and government departments for National Day and other future requirements. The rest is just to top-up existing supplies,' Director of Government Supplies Nigel Shipman said.