Art@Site www.artatsite.com Mario Raggi Statue of Queen Victoria
Artist:

Mario Raggi

Title:

Statue of Queen Victoria

Year:
1896
Adress:
Victoria Park
Website:
www.wikipedia.org:
There is a statue of Queen Victoria, seated, at the main entrance of the park on Causeway Road. This statue was cast in Pimlico, London and was originally located in Statue Square. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, it was taken to Japan to be melted down, along with other statues from the square. After the war the statues were brought back to Hong Kong, and in 1952 Queen Victoria's statue was restored and placed in Victoria Park. In 1996, shortly before Hong Kong's reunification with China, artist Pun Sing-Lui tipped red paint over the statue and smashed its nose with a hammer.[3] Pun was a recent immigrant from Mainland Chinese who had become discontented with Hong Kong culture. Striking the statue and covering it in red paint was intended to serve as a protest against"dull colonial culture" and to encourage"cultural reunification with 'red' China". His actions were decried as meaningless vandalism"in discord with popular opinions and the concurrent cultural atmosphere" and an"attack on Hong Kong culture". The statue was subsequently restored.

www.travelchinaguide.com:
Victoria Park, the largest public park on Hong Kong Island, is located in Causeway Bay in the Eastern District. It was established in 1955 and first opened to visitors in 1957. With an area of 227,238 square yards (190,000 square meters), this park has many kinds of athletic facilities for visitors and citizens to enjoy. Nowadays, as an urban green lung, Victoria Park is a lovely public place. Although the price of land in Hong Kong can be compared to gold, the government still built this park in order to provide a secluded area for citizens and to preserve the natural environment of green hills and clean water. The park is named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom in order to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Visitors can see a large bronze statue of Queen Victoria at the main entrance of the park. The statue was originally erected on Statue Square and moved here in 1952.