Statue Square, Hong Kong

Statue Square is a green-open square, siting in a lively business and shopping district flanked by some of the city’s most amazing buildings. Its name might mislead first-time visitors into thinking it refers only to the single statue still standing there today. In fact, the square was originally lined with many statues of British royalty and colonial-era personages.

The very first was a statue of Queen Victoria, unveiled in 1896 to mark her Golden Jubilee. Over time, additional statues were added — including the Duke of Connaught, King Edward VII, King George V, Queen Alexandra, Mary of Teck, and a First World War memorial statue titled “Fame”. The square was originally called “Royal Square”, a name that reflected its purpose as a public display of colonial statuary.

That era ended during World War II: under Japanese occupation, most of the statues were removed and sent to Japan to be melted down. After the war, only one statue returned to its original place in the square — that of Sir Thomas Jackson, 1st Baronet, former chief manager of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation — which now stands roughly in the center of Statue Square. Meanwhile, the statues of Queen Victoria and the two HSBC lions were all discovered in Kobe, Japan, and were brought back to Hong Kong together aboard the same ship in October 1946.

Today, skyscrapers, corporate towers, and the former Supreme Court building make up its backdrop. Near the northern edge of the square stands The Cenotaph, an elegant war memorial unveiled in 1923. The Cenotaph honors victims of World War I and II and remains a solemn, widely respected monument.