Statues in Hong Kong

Located at Ngong Ping in Lantau Island, Tian Tan Buddha is the large bronze statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, the second-largest seated bronze Buddha statue in the world. Also popular as the Big Buddha, it rises 34 metres high and weighs over 250 tons, facing towards Mainland China. The statue can be viewed from as far as Macau on a clear day.

The brainchild of the Danish sculptor Jens Galschiot, the Pillar of Shame located on at the Victoria Park reiterates the unfortunate event of the Tiananmen Square protests, thus marking its 8th year into history. This art series of 50 twisted and disintegrated human figures found in Hong Kong, Mexico and Brazil is closely connected to the feeling of shame over the event.

The sixteen feet tall sculpture of a horse drinking water at the Via Fiori garden of Taikoo Place is an illusional art piece by Mr Fiddian Green. Having inspired by the horses of the Han dynasty, this bronze head statue of a horse is said to symbolise prosperity of the locals and employees of the city. Some highlights of this sculpture are the evident cracks on the art piece, which represent the imperfections of history.

The Double Oval set up between the Jardine house and the HK general post office is an interesting statue in Hong Kong. Created by the British artist, Henry Moore, this statue symbolises duality of the human personality. The accurate asymmetry characterised in the ovals highlights natural imperfection and the strife towards balance. The Double Oval is designed in a way that it puts forth both, grace and struggle through its rough and smooth surfaces.

This iconic statue of the late legend, Bruce Lee is installed on the opposite side of the Victoria Harbour, in front of two a two-storey Starbucks. The Bruce Lee statue showcases his signature move of being ready to strike from the 1972 hit; Fist of Fury. Situated on the lane of the Avenue of Stars, visitors could drop by this icon and witness the 8 PM symphony of lights in one visit.

The Golden Bauhinia is a simple statue designed to commemorate the return of the Hongkongers to China in 1997. A golden statue of the Bauhinia flower is visible on the arena outside the HK Convention and Exhibition Centre, which is now named after this 6-metre tall sculpture that sits on a red granite pillar. The Golden Bauhinia Centre hosts a flag ceremony at 8 AM everyday. The statue is a quick tourist visit.

The statue of the Umbrella Man was a consequence of the Umbrella Movement during the HK democracy protests in 2014. A relatively newer addition, this 12-feet-tall statue made in wood of a man holding out an umbrella is said to signify the protestors who held umbrellas to protect themselves from tear gas during the rebellion.

The Stitt and Stephen Lion Statue, popularly known as the HSBC Lions are found at various branches of the bank across Hong Kong. This bronze statue characterised by two lions, one calm and one roaring, thus represents the bank's managers; Gorden Holmes Stitt and Alexander Gorden Stephen. Designed by the British artist WW Wagstaff, the HSBC Lions was set up at the third outlet of the bank on 1 Queen's Road Central. There is a damage of the WW II Japanese bombing on the statue.

This Single Whip Dip sculpture of the Taichi series is a bronze relic; the first of the other two fo Ju Ming's art works. This strangely interesting statue is located next to Ming's 1991 sculpture of the Right Heel Kick. Two of this series of statues are found at Exchange One and Two and Central District's IFC shopping mall. This statue emits a sense of rawness as well as elegance at the same time.

Above the Clouds is a statue that intertwines with the concept of "a sea of consciousness", as each of the two forces of the sculpture face each other off, thus symbolising spiritual transcendence. This recent artwork of the Beijing sculptor, Ren Zhe is found at the Exchange Square and the IFC Shopping Mall at Central District. Close to this statue is another of Ren Zhe's works; the Noble Tranquility which was installed in 2012.

The bronze statue of the first Baronet, Sir Thomas Jackson was initially set up in the Statue Square, which is a public square at Central in Hong Kong. Originally opposite to the HSBC building, the Sir Thomas Statue; an artwork of the Italian artist Mario Raggi, was inaugurated on the 24th of February in 1906. Some of Raggi's other art pieces include the Queen Victoria monument at the Victoria Park.

The Oval with Points is the creation of the British sculptor, Henry Moore which is also a part of his series of abstract statues. Besides this statue, Moore also owns two other artworks, this one is set up at the centre of a fountain opposite to the Exchange Square building. Although the Oval with Points looks quite unsettled, it is usually viewed as the separation between the human head and the chest.

The Water Buffalo duo at the Exchange Square building arena and the IFC Shopping mall consists of a standing and a sitting buffalo. The brainchild Elisabeth Frink, an artist heavily interested and influenced by animals engraved on religious vessels, this sculpture focuses on the shifted sense of urban belonging in the minds of these buffalos as there stare in relief and do not look alarmed.

A contemporary art work, the Sitting Couple Sculpture is designed by the English artist, Lynn Chadwick. The essence of this statue was first initialised in 1971 and further on improvised to give the final outlook in 1989. Although these sculptures look strange at first, this incredible art piece depicts human relationships, one characterising a man with inverted triangular indentations and the other, a woman with a breast moulding.

The Anonymous WW1 Soldier to whom this statue is dedicated is John Robert Osborn, who was a Canadian war soldier. Formerly a part of the Eu Tong Sen collection of statues in Eucliff Villa, the statue was displaced to Kowloon and then the HK Park. There is also a dedicated relic beneath the Anonymous WW1 Soldier Statue, which was designed to commemorate the WW2 soldier, John Robert Osborn VC. Both these veterans received the Victoria Cross for having served in the Great Wars.