Flowers of Freedom

"Flower of Freedom" (Chinese: 自由花) is a song created to support the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HKASPDMC). The composer of the song is Thomas Chow, and he used the melody of the song "Sailor" (水手) by Taiwanese singer Zheng Zhihua. Generally, the song is known as a tribute to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.

Original song

"Sailor" recounts Zheng Zhi-Hua's experience with polio. After performing it on China Central Television in 1992, the song became a household name across mainland China.[1][2]

History

The term "自由花" (flowers of freedom) has existed in Chinese for a very long time. Hong Yi wrote a poem before 1905 stating, “Freedom blooms for eight thousand years, and true freedom never dies" (自由花开八千春，是真自由能不死). In mainland China, some also trace the origin of 自由花 to the line "today we seek righteousness and virtue; across the land, the flower of freedom blooms" (取义成仁今日事，人间遍种自由花) from Chen Yi's 1936 work "梅岭三章". In 1931, Chinese Communist Party member Wang Buwen declared before his execution: "Let my blood water the flower of freedom!" (让我的鲜血去浇灌自由之花吧！)[3][4]

Following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, in 1993 HKASPDMC members demanded Wang Xizhe's release and hummed the chorus of "Sailor" at a press conference; they later requested Thomas Chow to rewrite the lyrics.[5][6]

Mainly before the Hong Kong National Security Law took effect in 2020, Hong Kong sang "Flowers of Freedom" in the evening of 4 June every year at Victoria Park, where candlelight vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.[7][8] The song was also often sung during the 2014 Hong Kong Umbrella Revolution.[9]

References

  1. ^ 张武 (8 July 2021). ""叛逆水手"郑智化，猛怼台当局". Shanghai Observer (in Chinese). Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  2. ^ 吴龙珍 (18 November 2022). "郑智化：30年后再唱《水手》，是返航、是凯旋｜专访". The Beijing News (in Chinese). Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  3. ^ "為滬學會撰文野婚姻新戲冊既竟系之以詩". Haoshici. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013.
  4. ^ 王新玲 (2023). "用鮮血澆灌自由之花──王步文". People's Daily Online (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  5. ^ "填詞人周禮茂：自由可以開到花". Apple Daily. 25 April 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  6. ^ 關震海 (20 September 2019). "新新聞》〈願榮光歸香港〉建構新香港人身分". The Storm Media (in Chinese). Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  7. ^ "In Full: 'No regrets even if I lose my freedom' – democrat Yeung Sum's mitigation plea over banned Tiananmen vigil". Hong Kong Free Press. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  8. ^ Khan, Natasha (3 June 2020). "With Hong Kong's Tiananmen Square Vigil Canceled, 'The Fire Is Flickering'". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  9. ^ "自由花(粵﹑國語)". 64memo.com. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021.

Further reading

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