Golden Bauhinia Square is the public plaza outside the location for the 1997 ceremonies for the handover of Hong Kong back to China. It takes its name from a much-loved sculpture of Hong Kong’s symbolic flower, the bauhinia blakeana. Visit Golden Bauhinia Square to admire the sculpture, delight in the pomp of flag-raising events and see a monument to the reunification of Hong Kong.
Dominating the square is the 20-foot-tall (6-meter) golden sculpture of the bauhinia blakeana flower on a red granite pillar. It depicts a long-blooming flower and signifies unity and the city’s eternal vitality. Look for the flower on a Hong Kong flag. The Chinese government commissioned the sculpture as a gift after the United Kingdom returned control of the city to China.
Visit the square in the morning to watch as police officers perform the raising of the Hong Kong flag while a band plays the national anthem. Uniformed youth groups conduct the ceremony on the second Sunday of the month. Come on the first day of the month for an extended ceremony. Police officers and a rifle unit dress in full ceremonial regalia as the Hong Kong Police Band performs a short concert.
Walk to the water’s edge of the square and follow the Expo Promenade along the Victoria Harbour shoreline. Watch as ferries and cruise ships pass by. Spot landmarks such as the Harbour City mall and International Commerce Centre skyscraper.
At the western end of the promenade see the 66-foot-tall (20-meter) Reunification Monument. It features 206 overlapping granite slabs, which represent each year from 1842 to 2047. Several circular and lighter-colored slabs symbolize the most important years in the territory’s history. Bright Chinese characters spell the monument’s name as written by Jiang Zemin, who was the president of China at the time of the handover. Watch the special ceremony each year on July 1, the anniversary of the handover event.
xGolden Bauhinia Square stands adjacent to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in the Wan Chai district. Reach the square easily from Kowloon by taking the ferry to the Wan Chai Ferry Pier.
