The Chief Executive has awarded 687 people in this year’s Honours List in recognition of their significant contributions to Hong Kong or for their dedicated public and community service.

Four people - Andrew Leung, Bernard Charnwut, Chan Tung and Hui Wing-mau - received the Grand Bauhinia Medal.

Fifteen people received the Gold Bauhinia Star, 22 the Silver Bauhinia Star, and 40 the Bronze Bauhinia Star.

The Gold Medal for Bravery was posthumously awarded to Senior Customs Officers of the Customs & Excise Department Iris Ng and Ben Lai, and Customs Officer of the department Wong Cheuk-bond. They died while carrying out duties in January.

The medal was also awarded to Cheng Chak-yin who rescued a passenger during a case of arson in February 2017. The rescue happened in a compartment of a Mass Transit Railway train where he sustained serious burn injuries while using his bare hands to smother the flames on a woman set alight by an arsonist.

Fourteen people were awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for disciplined services & the Independent Commission Against Corruption, and 47 the Meritorious Service Medals for disciplined services & the ICAC.

Seventy-eight people received the Medal of Honour, 195 the Chief Executive's Commendation for Community Service and 253 the Chief Executive's Commendation for Government/Public Service.

The Government pointed out that the number of award recipients in the Chief Executive's Commendation for Community Service and the Chief Executive's Commendation for Government/Public Service this year is exceptionally large.

This is to give recognition to meritorious performance by individuals involved in the handling of social incidents and the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic in the past year, it added.

The 2020 Honours & Awards and appointment of Justices of the Peace were announced on October 1 instead of July 1 this year to accord top priority to the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic and related matters.

Click here for the full Honours List.