Coordinates: 22°16′54.18″N 114°11′20.09″E / 22.2817167°N 114.1889139°E
Victoria Park (traditional Chinese: 維多利亞公園) is a public park in Hong Kong, named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. It is located in Causeway Bay, on the north of Hong Kong Island, between Causeway Bay and Tin Hau MTR stations. It is part of Eastern District, along the border with Wan Chai District, bordered by Victoria Park Road and then Victoria Harbour to the north and Causeway Road and Hong Kong Central Library to the south. The park underwent a major revamp in the early 2000s.
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History
The park was formerly a typhoon shelter known as Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter, part of Victoria Harbour, used as a refuge by fishing boats and yachts during typhoon seasons. In the 1950s, the shelter was reclaimed and the park was built there. The typhoon shelter was then relocated to the north.
The park has long been a gathering place for domestic workers on Sundays, their usual day off. Since the early 2000s, helpers from Indonesia have come to predominate, in and around the western end of the Park, as their numbers in Hong Kong have increased relative to those from the Philippines. The parallel tradition for Filipina domestic workers is to congregate around Statue Square in Central.
Features
There is a statue of Queen Victoria, seated, at the main entrance of the park on Causeway Road. This statue was founded in Pimlico, London and was originally located in Statue Square. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, it was taken to Japan to be melted down, along with other statues from the square. After the war the statues were brought back to Hong Kong, and in 1952 Queen Victoria's statue was restored and placed in Victoria Park.
The park includes tennis courts, a swimming pool, a skating rink, a bowling green and other sports facilities, as well as the central lawn and children's areas. The tennis centre court, enclosed with spectator seating, is often used to host international tennis tournaments. There are several pools of water located in the garden area that are used for operating remote-controlled boats.
Events
Lunar New Year Fair
Every year, in the days preceding Chinese New Year, the park is home to the Lunar New Year Fair (年宵市場), which attracts large crowds late into the night. Other large events in the park include the Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo and the Hong Kong Flower Show.
Protests
A vigil attracting thousands of people is held every year on June 4 to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square Crackdown. The park is also often used as a gathering point for demonstrations, such as the July 1st marches and 124 March.
City forum
A city forum, sponsored and broadcast to the public by Radio Television Hong Kong, is usually held in the park every Sunday. The forum attracts tens of pro-Beijing old men yelling outside the venue, especially when there are pro-Democratic politicians participating. Such old men are popularly known as the "uncles of Victoria Park" (維園阿伯）.
Transport
Transport to the park is very convenient as it is just next to the busy Causeway Bay district. Visitors can arrive by MTR, getting off at either Causeway Bay MTR station or Tin Hau station. Dozens of bus routes and the trams also provide convenient access.
See also
External links
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