In celebration of China’s receipt of Hong Kong under its jurisdiction, the Government of China gifted an immense gilded bauhinia statue to the city and it was installed in the square directly next to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. This now-famous locale is now known as Golden Bauhinia Square and it remains a significant feature of the country’s cultural landscape.
A monument of glittering acclaim and proportions, it stands twenty metres high and is composed of precisely 206 stone tablets superimposed upon each other in an intricate arrangement of grandeur. The tablets each represent one year during the period spanning 1842-2047. Six tablets are spherical in shape composed of a light granite in shade and they symbolise the six more significant years in the nation’s history, with the tablet representing the year 1997 illuminated above the others. The bauhinia’s body bears nine shimmering Chinese characters carved by Jiang Zemin, the Central Government’s former chairman. The gilded monument’s crown boasts fifty rings that signify the preservation of Hong Kong’s capitalist rule of law for fifty additional years, despite its tenure under Chinese communist leadership.
Each first, eleventh and twenty-first day of each month, at precisely 8.00pm, a coterie of smartly-attired police officers conduct a flag-raising ceremony in commemoration of that fateful day of transfer in 1997. They are accompanied by the musicals strains of the Police Silver Band, numbering sixty skilled musicians. After the ceremony, the Police Pipe Band pipes up with a strength of twenty-four and continues to serenade the square with the piercing pitches of pipes and drums, a musical performance that ensues for around ten minutes.
A popular Hong Kong landmark amongst locals and international visitors alike, Golden Bauhinia Square is the ideal locale to soak in the other attractions in the area. Marvel at the stunning view presented by Victoria Harbour and a promenade that extends for around 400 metres affords the perfect opportunity for a leisurely stroll. The Bauhinia is also an ideal spot to catch the mesmerising “A Symphony of Lights” light show that emblazons Hong Kong’s night skies with fire and song.
Savour the superb array of cultural sites that dazzle Hong Kong’s landscape from a quality 4 star hotel Hong Kong has to offer its leisure and corporate visitors. The stunning interiors and central location of the Cosmo Hotel makes it an ideal option of a Hong Kong boutique hotel to host your stay in this cosmopolitan haven.
Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday. Google+
