Celebration time for Golden Bauhinia Square as Hong Kong’s ceremonial centre to get major makeover by 2027
- Forever Blooming Bauhinia sculpture and flag poles will be placed on an elevated platform to ‘highlight their importance’, Development Bureau says
- Celebration Precinct part of plan to revitalise promenade stretching from Wan Chai to North Point
A stretch of Hong Kong’s harbourfront designated for daily flag-raising ceremonies and annual celebrations of the city’s return to Chinese rule will get a facelift to highlight its “solemn identity and character” under a government proposal.
An area covering 1.85 hectares (4.5 acres) – including a 490-metre (1,607 feet) promenade – off the prime site where the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre sits will be zoned as a Celebration Precinct under a revitalisation project, a Development Bureau paper released on Wednesday said.
“The project aims to preserve and highlight the solemn identity and character of this unique ceremonial place where major official ceremonies are held on particular days of the year,” bureau staff explained.
The scheme is part of a 2019 HK$6.5 billion (US$828 million) proposal by the Planning Department to revitalise the promenade, which runs from Wan Chai to North Point, by building five themed zones, including a Pierside Precinct and a Water Sports and Recreation Precinct.
The area, at present known as Golden Bauhinia Square, is home to a sculpture of the city’s signature flower and two flag poles, around which ceremonies are held on July 1 every year to commemorate the city’s handover from British rule.
The Forever Blooming Bauhinia sculpture and the flag poles will be placed on an elevated platform to “highlight their importance” in a subzone sectioned off as Celebration Plaza, with additional greenery on the side.
The other two subzones planned are the City View Plaza and Sunset Plaza. The former will feature seating, viewing platforms and a monument to celebrate the handover. For the latter, the authorities will widen the existing pavements to “create a more proper area for the public to enjoy the sunset”.
The contentious history of Hong Kong’s bauhinia flower flag
The paper added there will also be a “shared-use zone” for cyclists and pedestrians and kiosks selling snacks.
Renovations at Celebration Plaza were expected to begin in 2024 and completed in three phases within three years, subject to the Legislative Council’s approval, the paper said.
Officials on Wednesday briefed members of the Task Force on Harbourfront Development on Hong Kong Island on the proposal. Chairman Ivan Ho Man-yiu appealed to the government to allow public access to the promenade during construction.
“The government has to guarantee a safe, open and decent connection for the public to pass through the work area. We do not want to see a chopped-off harbourfront,” Ho said.
He added that the government could further improve the plaza design by incorporating more shelter areas and art elements.
Officials said the new promenade would not be pet-friendly as the plaza was a solemn venue, and involved tourism and celebration activities, but task force member Paul Zimmerman suggested the government should instead restrict pet access when needed.
“I don’t think that generally dog access [should] be limited because we are creating dog access all around the harbour step by step so I hope we can take a positive approach to it and just limit the dogs when there is a flag-raising ceremony,” Zimmerman said.
He also suggested allowing restaurants at the convention centre to provide outdoor seats in the plaza for a better tourism experience and let them set up more tables so residents can enjoy meals in the public area.
