Statue Square (traditional Chinese: 皇后像廣場) is a public pedestrian square in Central, Hong Kong.
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History
The square was built at the end of the 19th century. The idea of a square of statues dedicated to royalty was conceived by Sir Catchick Paul Chater.[1]. It derives its name from the fact that it originally contained the statue of Queen Victoria, as the square's name in Chinese testifies[2]. Statues of Prince Albert, Edward VII were added between 1876 and 1902[3]. The statue of Victoria was ordered to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the monarch in 1887, should never have been made in bronze, but in marble, an error that wasn't picked up until the bronze statue was almost completed.[4] [2]. A statue of Sir Thomas Jackson, the chief manager of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation was unveiled on 24 February 1906[5]. These statues (except for the statue of Jackson), together with the two bronze lions in front of the HSBC building, were displaced to Japan to be melted by the occupying Japanese during World War II.
After the war the statues were brought back to Hong Kong. Sir Thomas Jackson's now stands roughly in the middle of the square, facing the Former Supreme Court Building. Queen Victoria's statue was placed in Victoria Park[2]. The two lions are now again in front of the HSBC building. The bronze statue of George V, also removed by the Japanese, was lost and never replaced after the war[2].
Since the 1980s, there has been a tradition for thousands of Filipina domestic workers to congregate in and around Statue Square every Sunday (their usual rest day of the week). A parallel tradition has since been developed in Victoria Park for Indonesian domestic servants in Hong Kong.
Surrounding buildings
The HSBC Hong Kong headquarters building is located along its southern side. It stands at the location of the old City Hall (built 1869, demolished 1933). The Former Supreme Court Building, now housing the Legislative Council is located along the eastern side of the square. Prince's Building is located along the western side of the square.
The square was initially bordered by Victoria Harbour on its northern side, but following land reclamation, it is now separated from it by Edinburgh Place, which houses the Star Ferry pier, among others.
Gallery
 Statue Square during the Christmas Holiday |
 Statue Square is an ideal rendezvous for Filipino maids in Hong Kong on Sundays. |
 Statue Square water fountains |
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Statue Square |
- List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
- History of Hong Kong
- List of urban public parks and gardens of Hong Kong
- Morse Park park regarding HSBC banker too
External links
References
- ^ The Statues of Statue Square, Hong Kong by Liz Chater, privately published 2008
- ^ a b c d Jason Wordie, The square that put an old queen in her place, The Standard, 2 May 1999
- ^ Wiltshire, Trea. [First published 1987] (republished & reduced2003). Old Hong Kong - Volume One. Central, Hong Kong: Text Form Asia books Ltd. Page 8. ISBN Volume One 962-7283-59-2
- ^ The Statues of Statue Square, Hong Kong by Liz Chater, privately published 2008
- ^ Clarke, David James. [2002](2001) Reaktion BookS LTD. Hong Kong Art-CL: culture and decolonization. ISBN ISBN 0822329204
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