Stand in Central district’s Statue Square and you’re
right in the region’s financial, political, historical and social heart.
Among the steel and glass of sleek skyscrapers surrounding the square
are a few colonial remnants, including the handsome Neo-Classical
Legislation Council Building where Hong Kong’s usually low-key political
demonstrations take place. Shopping, a much more popular Hong Kong
pursuit than politics, goes on inside the swanky boutiques opposite.
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During Handover negotiations ,
China was adamant that Hong Kong’s Legislative Council would be as
democratic under Chinese rule as under the British (in other words, it
could be argued, hardly at all). When Chris Patten, the last governor,
tried introducing greater representation, China dubbed Patten, among
other things, “a strutting prostitute” and “serpent”.
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For a terrific bird’s-eye
view over Central and the harbour, head to the viewing gallery on the
43rd floor of the Bank of China Tower.
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If you fancy picnicking in
the square or in nearby Chater Garden, try the fantastic pastries, cakes
and quiches from the Mandarin Oriental’s Cake Shop, which is at the
edge of the square.
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Top 10 SightsBank of China Tower Looming
over the HSBC building is the imposing 70-storey Bank of China Tower.
It was designed by the renowned architect I M Pei. The tower is a
dizzying 368 m (1,207 ft) high. It doesn’t please everyone – those who
know about feng shui say it projects negative vibes onto other
buildings.
Bank of China Tower
Shopping Malls Two of Hong Kong’s most upmarket and, of course, pricey shopping malls – the busy Landmark Centre and the less busy Prince’s Building
– sit next to Statue Square. Within these hallowed temples to
conspicuous overspending are many of the city’s most exclusive and
elegant boutiques, including the likes of Armani, Gucci and Prada. The Cenotaph Standing at the northern edge of Statue Square, the Cenotaph is a memorial to those who died in the two World Wars.
Chater Garden Despite
the prime real-estate value on the site of what used to be the old
pitch of the Hong Kong Cricket Club, the small but well-tended Chater
Garden sprang up instead of a skyscraper. It’s free to enter and makes a
good place to enjoy a cold drink and rest tired legs.
Court of Final Appeal Behind
the HSBC building, a handsome 150-year-old redbrick building used to
house a French Catholic mission and the old colony’s first Government
House. Today it serves as one of Hong Kong’s courts of law. The Legislative Council Building One
of Hong Kong’s last remaining colonial buildings, the elegant
Neo-Classical Legislative Council building, which used to house the
Supreme Court, now serves as Hong Kong’s parliament.
Mandarin Oriental It’s
hard to believe, but the Mandarin Oriental was once Hong Kong’s tallest
building. Today its graceful exterior seems overwhelmed by the
ceaseless traffic, but inside it’s still one of Hong Kong’s finest
hotels. Thomas Jackson Statue Appropriately
enough, one of Hong Kong’s few remaining statues, of a 19th-century
banker, is in Statue Square. The Japanese army removed one of Queen
Victoria, which gave the square its name.
Thomas Jackson statue
HSBC Bank Headquarters On
its completion in 1985, Sir Norman Foster’s bold building was the most
expensive ever built, costing more than HK$5bn. The edifice is said to
have the strongest feng shui in Hong Kong. Rubbing the paws of the
bank’s handsome lions is said to bring good luck.
Sunday Filipino Fiesta Hundreds
of young Filipinos and Indonesians, mostly domestic workers enjoying
their only day off, occupy almost every spare bit of public space in
Central.
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