Golden Bauhinia Square

Commemorative square in Wan Chai, Hong Kong

22°17′3.36″N 114°10′25.53″E﻿ / ﻿22.2842667°N 114.1737583°E﻿ / 22.2842667; 114.1737583

The square at night, 2004

The Golden Bauhinia Square (Chinese: 金紫荊廣場; Jyutping: gam1 zi2 ging1 gwong2 coeng4) is an open area in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The square was named after the giant statue of a golden Bauhinia blakeana at the centre of the area, situated outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, where the ceremonies for the handover of Hong Kong and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were held in July 1997. A flag-raising ceremony is held every day at 8:00 am. It is considered a tourist attraction.

The sculpture, a gilded flower bauhinia, is six metres high. The major part is composed of a bauhinia on a base of red granite pillar on a pyramid.

Golden Bauhinia Square

Traditional Chinese| 金紫荊廣場
Simplified Chinese| 金紫荆广场
| Transcriptions

Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin| Jīn Zǐjīng Guǎngchǎng
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutping| gam1 zi2 ging1 gwong2 coeng4

The sculpture is deemed an important symbol for the Hong Kong people after the handover. On the second day of Chinese New Year and National Day of the People's Republic of China, the square is lit up by a firework show. The Golden Bauhinia has also been nicknamed the "Golden Pak Choi" by locals.[1]

## Flag-raising ceremony[edit]

Flag raising ceremony conducted by youth uniformed groups on 30 August 2008 to welcome national parathletes from Mainland China before the 2008 Summer Paralympics

The official daily flag raising ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square located outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is conducted by the Hong Kong Police Force. There are three types of ceremonies: Daily Flag Raising Ceremony (Daily, every day except 1st of each month), Enhanced Flag Raising Ceremony (on the 1st of every month, except July and October) and the Special Flag Raising Ceremony (1 July and 1 October).

The daily ceremony includes regular attire and includes the playing of the national anthem, while the enhanced ceremony includes a flag-raising party of Hong Kong police officers, accompanied by a rifle unit all in ceremonial dress, and also includes the playing of the national anthem by the Police Band followed by a 10-minute musical performance by the Police Pipe Band.[2]

Since July 2008, on the second Sunday of each month, the flag raising ceremony is conducted by different local youth uniformed groups (UGs). The UGs conduct the daily flag raising ceremony (i.e. the flag party consists of five members: one commander, two national flag raisers and two regional flag raisers) without a band performance.

## See also[edit]

* Lotus Square, Macau
* Monument in Commemoration of the Return of Hong Kong to China
* Wan Chai District

## References[edit]

1. ^ Sharp, Mark (23 May 2014). "What is Hong Kong's biggest eyesore? Ugly side of city exposed by decades of bad decisions". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 23 May 2014. "Surprise and disbe-leaf: The Golden Bauhinia in Wan Chai, ingloriously nicknamed the "Golden Pak Choi", got a big thumbs-down."
2. ^ "Golden Bauhinia Square - Hong Kong Tourism Board". Archived from the original on 2012-06-15. Retrieved 2010-04-28.

## External links[edit]

* Media related to Golden Bauhinia Square at Wikimedia Commons

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Wan Chai District

Main borders and locations

Areas|

* Causeway Bay
* Kellett Island
* Happy Valley
* Jardine's Lookout
* Mid Levels (part)
* Stubbs Road
* Tai Hang
* Tin Hau
* Wan Chai
* Wan Chai North
* Wong Nai Chung Gap

Education|

* Tang Shiu Kin Victoria Government Secondary School
* Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
* French International School of Hong Kong Blue Pool Road (HQ) and Jardine's Lookout
* Hong Kong Japanese School Primary school
* St. Paul's Convent School
* Wah Yan College, Hong Kong
* Marymount Primary School
* Sir Ellis Kadoorie (S) Primary School
* Hong Kong Central Library

| Closed|

* Hong Kong Sam Yuk Secondary School

|

Landmarks|

* Blue House
* Central Plaza
* China Resources Building
* Dorsett Wanchai Hong Kong Hotel
* Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
* The Excelsior
* Golden Bauhinia Square
* Great George Street
* Happy Valley Racecourse
* Fire Memorial
* Harbour Centre
* Australian Consulate-General
* Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
* Hong Kong Police Headquarters
* Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital
* Hopewell Centre
* Hotel Indigo Hong Kong Island
* Hysan Place
* Immigration Tower
* King Yin Lei
* Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple
* Lai Tak Tsuen
* Lee Garden
* Lee Garden One
* Lockhart Road
* Mount Cameron
* Mount Nicholson
* Mount Parish
* Nam Koo Terrace
* Novotel Century Hong Kong
* Old Wanchai Market Building
* Old Wan Chai Police Station
* Old Wan Chai Post Office
* Po Leung Kuk Museum
* QRE Plaza
* Queen's Road East
* Pacific Place Phase III
* Revenue Tower
* Ruttonjee Hospital
* Shui On Centre
* Southorn Playground
* Spring Garden Lane
* St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery
* Stubbs Road
* Sun Hung Kai Centre
* Times Square
* Tung Wah Eastern Hospital
* Victoria Park
* Wan Chai Heritage Trail
* Wanchai Tower
* Windsor House
* World Trade Centre Hong Kong

| Closed|

* Lee Tung Street

|

Transport|

| MTR stations|

* Causeway Bay
* Exhibition Centre station
* Tin Hau
* Wan Chai

|

Ferry|

* Wan Chai Pier

Society|

* Wan Chai District Council

This list is incomplete.

Portal:

* Hong Kong

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