A former chairman of Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority, a media mogul and a business leader have been awarded the city’s highest honour this year, while Olympic gold medal fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai was also recognised for her sporting achievements.

Two Hongkongers who helped save residents from a deadly fire were also among the 427 individuals recognised on the 2025 Honours List on Tuesday for their contributions to society.

Also honoured were a Hong Kong rescue team that had been deployed to Myanmar after a devastating quake earlier this year, and the city’s justice minister and nine officers for their contributions to safeguarding national security.

The top-tier Grand Bauhinia Medal was awarded to former Hospital Authority chairman John Leong Chi-yan, Charles Yeung Chun-kam, honorary lifetime chairman of the city’s Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, and Hong Kong Economic Times founder Lawrence Fung Siu-por.

The government highlighted Leong’s 50-year career spanning teaching, academic research and administration as part of his “lifelong and sterling contributions” to Hong Kong.

Yeung, meanwhile, was recognised for promoting economic collaboration between Hong Kong and mainland China, as well as for his contributions to philanthropic causes.

“[Yeung] is committed to promoting economic collaboration between Hong Kong and the mainland, bringing together the business community and providing valuable experience for enterprises in Hong Kong to expand into the mainland market, thereby making crucial contributions to the economic development of Hong Kong,” the government said.