---
title: "What is on Hong Kong's banknotes?"
description: "The Hong Kong dollar: who is on each denomination, what was withdrawn and why, what the notes are printed on, and whether the sizes differ."
url: https://atoneplace.net/banknote/hong-kong/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What is on the money in Hong Kong?

**The money in Hong Kong: Hong Kong dollar (HKD, HK$)**

5 denominations in issue · Some polymer, some paper

Three commercial banks issue Hong Kong's notes — HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China (Hong Kong) — so every denomination exists in three different designs simultaneously, all legal and all circulating together. The government issues only the HK$10. The 2018 series was the first in which all three banks agreed a shared theme per denomination, so the notes at least look related.

## Who and what is on each note

| Note | Who or what is on it |
| --- | --- |
| HK$20 | Varies by issuing bank; the 2018 series theme is tea culture |
| HK$50 | Butterflies |
| HK$100 | Cantonese opera |
| HK$500 | The geopark |
| HK$1,000 | Hong Kong as a financial centre |

## The unusual part

Three commercial banks issue the currency. Any denomination exists in three different designs at once.

## The practical facts

- **Currency:** Hong Kong dollar — ISO code HKD, symbol HK$
- **Printed on:** Some polymer, some paper
- **Survives a wash?:** Not reliably. Paper notes disintegrate when soaked.
- **Can a blind person tell them apart?:** Yes — the denominations differ in size, which is the simplest and most reliable tactile cue there is.
- **Highest note in issue:** HK$1,000 — Hong Kong as a financial centre

> This page describes the notes rather than showing them. Reproducing a banknote image is restricted in most jurisdictions, and the restrictions differ between them.

## Common questions

### Who is on the money in Hong Kong?

HK$20: Varies by issuing bank; the 2018 series theme is tea culture. HK$50: Butterflies. HK$100: Cantonese opera. HK$500: The geopark. HK$1,000: Hong Kong as a financial centre.

### Are Hong Kong's banknotes polymer or paper?

Some polymer, some paper.

## Related pages

- [Hong Kong](https://atoneplace.net/country/hong-kong/)
- [The money in United States](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-states/)
- [The money in Eurozone](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/eurozone/)
- [The money in United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-kingdom/)
- [The money in India](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/india/)
- [The money in Japan](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/japan/)
- [The money in Zimbabwe](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/zimbabwe/)
- [The money in Australia](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/australia/)
- [The money in Canada](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/canada/)
- [The money in China](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/china/)
- [The money in Switzerland](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/switzerland/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)