Statue of Queen Victoria (Hong Kong)

The statue in Victoria Park in 2008
Statue Square in the 1930s, looking south toward the HSBC building. The canopy of Queen Victoria's statue is visible.

The statue of Queen Victoria is a bronze sculpture by Mario Raggi. It is installed at the main entrance of Victoria Park, along Causeway Road, in Hong Kong.

History

This statue was cast in Pimlico, London. It was originally located at the centre of Statue Square, where it was unveiled by then Governor William Robinson on 28 May 1896, the day officially appointed for the celebration of the 77th birthday of the Queen.[1] 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.

In 1996, shortly before Hong Kong's reunification with China, artist Pun Sing-Lui tipped red paint over the statue and smashed its nose with a hammer.[2] Pun was a recent immigrant from Mainland China who had become discontented with Hong Kong culture.[3] Striking the statue and covering it in red paint was intended to serve as a protest against "dull colonial culture" and to encourage "cultural reunification with 'red' China".[3][4] His actions were decried as meaningless vandalism "in discord with popular opinions and the concurrent cultural atmosphere" and an "attack on Hong Kong culture".[3] The statue was subsequently restored.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bard, Solomon (2002). Voices from the past: Hong Kong, 1842–1918. Hong Kong University Press. p. 146. ISBN 978-962-209-574-8.
  2. ↑ Elizabeth Ho (2012) 'Neo-Victorianism and the Memory of Empire' (Continuum) Pages 1-3
  3. 1 2 3 Cheung, Wai-ting, Stephanie (2004). "Public art in Hong Kong" (PDF). HKU Scholars Hub. University of Hong Kong. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Moir, Jane (4 January 1997). "Queen Victoria has successful nose job". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 3 September 2014.

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