STATUE SQUARE, Presentation

Hi, my name’s Rick, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: Statue Square.

Statue Square, in the heart of the financial neighborhood, Central District is one of the most beautiful squares in Hong Kong.

Divided into two by Chater Road, it was originally called Royal Square because it was designed to host the bronze statues of the British royals. During the Second World War, the Japanese invaders removed most of the statues and melted down the bronze to make weapons. Today the only statue in the square is dedicated to Sir Thomas Jackson, one of the first managers of the HSBC (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation), whose splendid headquarters look onto the square.

Beside the HSBC building, and contrasting sharply with its modern style, is the Neoclassical Former Legislative Council Building, an imposing, elegant construction surrounded by porticoes, with balconies and a large central dome....