Words ‘Hong Kong’ and ‘independent’ removed from sculpture installation at Sai Kung park
- The words had appeared next to each other on a sculpture resembling an origami boat made of newsprint
- Officials say changes were to freshen up the 18-year-old sculpture, but some accuse government of censorship
The words “Hong Kong” and “independent”, which appeared next to each other on a sculpture at a popular waterfront park in Sai Kung, have been removed in a redesign of the installation.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department on Wednesday attributed the changes to maintenance work that was undertaken to give a “fresh feeling” to the 18-year-old piece, and to fix fading colours on the sculpture, which was designed to resemble origami boats made of newsprint.
The display is located at Sai Kung Waterfront Park, an area with restaurants and public piers popular with hikers and day trippers.
A man, who gave his surname as Tam, told the Post he had gone rowing in Sai Kung on Tuesday, and that the Chinese characters for “Hong Kong” and “independent” were still visible on one of the boats in the installation around noon. When he returned to the park around 4pm, he said, the words were gone.
“It makes me question whether Hong Kong’s history is being self-censored,” Tam said.