Despite misgivings, replica is likely for Kowloon Park
It's not exactly the prominent Hong Kong landmark watchmaker Omega had in mind, but a replica of the Olympic countdown clock in Tiananmen Square is expected to be installed in Kowloon Park next year.
A source close to the government said the clock was expected to be in place by March and to be unveiled exactly 500 days before the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on August 8, 2008.
Omega, one of the global sponsors of the Games, had previously dismissed the idea of siting the clock in the park, saying it wanted it on the harbourfront at the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui or at a site in Central.
The Swiss watchmaker did not return repeated calls to confirm whether it had agreed to build the clock in Kowloon Park.
'Kowloon Park was chosen because of sufficient space for accommodating the device and hosting celebratory activities as well as convenient public transport,' the government source said, admitting that Omega had reservations about the site.
