The Hong Kong Police Still Play the Bagpipes

The bagpipe is one of the most uniquely Scottish instruments in the world. Yet, on certain occasions, you may see members of the Hong Kong Police Band playing this venerable instrument. How did that happen?

Bagpipes first made their appearance in the Pearl River Delta during the nineteenth century. As Scottish merchants and settlers exported their cultural traditions to the East, the bagpipe was naturally part of the baggage they brought. By the late nineteenth century, the instrument had become a centerpiece of community gatherings and other festivities.

British garrisons and regiments further popularized marches, reels, and jigs, inspiring local government institutions to establish their own musical formations. The Hong Kong Police Force was among the first of these institutions to do so.

In 1951, the Hong Kong Police Force established its amateur Silver Band with 21 serving officers; three years later, in 1954, a Police Pipe and Drum unit was added. The pipers wore the MacIntosh tartan in honor of former Commissioner of Police Duncan William MacIntosh—a privilege granted with the official permission of Scottish clan chiefs.

Following the handover in July 1997, the Hong Kong Police Force retained both the Silver Band and its Pipe Band. As of 2026, the Pipe Band still counts 24 members, while the Silver Band has grown to 70 members.

However, while the bagpipe is still played in Hong Kong today, traditional Scottish tunes are no longer performed, and tartan uniforms are no longer worn by the post-handover Police Pipe and Drum Band.