This paper examines the annual June 4 candlelight vigils in Hong Kong as an example of how political mourning can manifest as ritual protest, particularly in response to the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. Despite the Chinese government's efforts to suppress public remembrance, Hong Kong citizens organized these vigils to honor the victims, establishing a tradition that lasted over three decades.
By engaging with theories on ritual and mourning, this paper develops an analytical framework to explore the intersections between political mourning and ritual protest. Drawing on historical documents and video recordings, it investigates religious and ritualistic elements of the vigils, including their incorporation of Chinese funeral practices. It emphasizes the vigils' liminal nature, explains the symbolic meaning of those rites, and illustrates their sociopolitical functions. To conclude, this paper argues that a grassroots-driven political mourning/ritual protest can transform collective grief into acts of resistance and foster a counter-narrative to state propaganda.