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Coordinates: 22°16′55″N 114°11′17″E / 22.28194°N 114.18806°E / 22.28194; 114.18806
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{{Short description|Public park in Hong Kong}}
{{Short description|Public park in Hong Kong}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2022}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{more citations needed|date=December 2011}}
{{Original research|date=December 2010}}
}}
{{Infobox park
{{Infobox park
| name = Victoria Park
| name = Victoria Park
| alt_name =
| native_name = 維多利亞公園
| native_name = 維多利亞公園
| native_name_lang = zh
| native_name_lang = zh
| photo = Victoria Park 0606.JPG
| photo = Victoria Park 0606.JPG
| photo_caption = General view of the park.
| photo_width =
| photo_caption = Victoria Park, Hong Kong
| photo_alt =
| photo_alt =
| map = Hong Kong Island
| map = Hong Kong Island
| map_width =
| map_caption = Location on Hong Kong Island
| map_caption = Location on Hong Kong Island
| map_alt =
| coords = {{coord|22|16|55|N|114|11|17|E|type:landmark_region:HK|display=inline,title}}
| coords = {{coord|22|16|55|N|114|11|17|E|type:landmark_region:HK|display=inline,title}}
| type = [[Urban park]]
| type = [[Urban park]]
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| manager = [[Leisure and Cultural Services Department]]
| manager = [[Leisure and Cultural Services Department]]
| status = Open all year
| status = Open all year
| website = {{URL|http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/}}
| website = {{URL|http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/|www.lcsd.gov.hk}}
| embedded = {{Infobox Chinese
| embedded = {{Infobox Chinese
| showflag = stp
| showflag = stp
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}}
}}


'''Victoria Park''' ({{lang-zh|t=維多利亞公園|s=维多利亚公园|p=Wéiduōlìyà Gōngyuán}}) is a large public park in [[Causeway Bay]], [[Hong Kong]]. The park is named after [[Queen Victoria]] of the [[United Kingdom]], whose monument is erected here. It is around {{convert|190000|m2|ha}} in size{{Sfn|Miao|2013|p=173}}{{Sfn|Bailey|2009|pp=31–32}} and contains several sporting facilities for tennis, association football, basketball, handball, volleyball, swimming, jogging, fitness, roller skating, and bowling.
[[File:Statue of Victoria in Victoria Park, Hong Kong 1.jpg|thumb|right|[[Statue of Queen Victoria (Hong Kong)|Statue of Queen Victoria]] in Victoria Park]]


The park first opened to the public in October 1957 and was revamped in the early 2000s. The [[Leisure and Cultural Services Department]] of Hong Kong owns and operates it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Introduction |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/intro.html |work=[[Leisure and Cultural Services Department]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129005245/http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/intro.html |archive-date=29 January 2019 |access-date=18 February 2022}}</ref>{{Sfn|Ng|2009|p=70}} The park is open all year and is free of admission charge.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/information.html |title=Opening Hours and Admission |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015064124/http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/information.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=18 February 2022 }}</ref> It is Hong Kong's most popular public park, with more visitors than [[Hong Kong Park|Hong Kong]] and [[Kowloon Park|Kowloon]] parks combined.{{Sfn|Inversini|Schegg|2016|pp=190–192}}
'''Victoria Park''' is a [[public park]] covering 190,000 square metres (47 acres; 19 hectares) in [[Hong Kong]], and is one of Hong Kong's central attractions. The park is named after [[Queen Victoria]] of the [[United Kingdom]]. It is located in [[Causeway Bay]], on the north of [[Hong Kong Island]], between [[Causeway Bay station|Causeway Bay]] and [[Tin Hau station|Tin Hau]] [[MTR]] station Exit A2. It is part of [[Wan Chai District]], bordered by [[Victoria Park Road]] and then [[Victoria Harbour]] to the north and [[Causeway Road]] and [[Hong Kong Central Library]] to the south. The park underwent a major revamp in the early 2000s, which gave it many of its new and rebuilt features, including basketball courts, tennis stadiums, and swimming pool.


==History==
== Site ==
Victoria Park is located on [[Hong Kong Island]], in the [[Causeway Bay]] area of [[Wan Chai District]]. It is situated on the shore of the Causeway Bay [[typhoon shelter]] and separated by a [[breakwater]] from [[Victoria Harbour]]. The park is bounded by [[Causeway Road]] to the southeast, [[Gloucester Road, Hong Kong|Gloucester Road]] to the west, [[Victoria Park Road]] and [[Island Eastern Corridor]] to the north, and Hing Fat Street to the east.<ref name="location"/><ref name="map"/>
The park was formerly a [[typhoon shelter]] known as [[Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter]], part of Victoria Harbour, used as a refuge by fishing boats and yachts during typhoon seasons. In the 1950s, the shelter was [[Land reclamation in Hong Kong|reclaimed]] and the park was built there. The typhoon shelter was then relocated to the north.<ref name="streets">{{cite book |title=Streets: Exploring Hong Kong Island |last=Wordie |first=Jason |year=2002 |publisher=[[Hong Kong University Press]] |location=Hong Kong |isbn=962-209-563-1 |page=152}}</ref><ref>[http://gwulo.com/node/14287 Gwulo image: c. 1924 Looking east from the Peak]</ref>


The park is bordered on the south by the [[Hong Kong Central Library]] and the Regal Hongkong Hotel, on the east by the Park Towers residential complex, on the north by a fire station and Citicorp Centre office tower, and on the west by [[Windsor House (Hong Kong)|Windsor House]] retail mall and The Park Lane Hong Kong hotel. A small square, Tung Lo Wan Garden, is located in the northeastern portion of Victoria Park. Two stations of [[Island Line]], [[Causeway Bay station|Causeway Bay]] and [[Tin Hau station|Tin Hau]], are located near the park. There are bus lines and a tramline along Causeway Road, which run beside the park. Several pedestrian bridges with escalators and elevators have been built to connect the park to the Causeway Road.<ref name="location">{{Cite web |url=https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/access.html |title=Getting Here |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118111551/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/access.html |access-date=20 February 2022 |archive-date=18 January 2021 |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department }}</ref><ref name="map">{{Cite web |url=https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/layout.html |title=Park Map |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416131159/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/layout.html |archive-date=16 April 2021 |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |access-date=20 February 2022 }}</ref>
The park has long been a gathering place for [[Foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong|domestic workers]] on Sundays, their usual day off. Since the early 2000s, domestic workers from [[Overseas Indonesian|Indonesia]] have come to predominate, in and around the western end of the Park, as their numbers in Hong Kong have increased relative to those from the [[Philippines]]. The parallel tradition for [[Filipina]] domestic workers is to congregate around [[Statue Square]] in [[Central, Hong Kong|Central]].<ref name="streets"/>


== History ==
A portion of the park was occupied by construction of a [[slip road]] for the [[Central–Wan Chai Bypass]] project. This was "hugely controversial" as local councillors and residents alleged they were not informed that the road would cut through the park.<ref name=ordnance>{{cite news |last1=Mok |first1=Danny |last2=Lai |first2=Ying-kit |title=Bomb squad set for fourth attempt to detonate wartime shell in Hong Kong's Victoria Park |url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1729708/wartime-shell-found-near-hong-kongs-victoria-park|access-date=5 March 2015 |work=South China Morning Post |date=5 March 2015}}</ref> In March 2015, construction unearthed [[unexploded ordnance]] dating from [[World War II]] and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau of the [[Hong Kong Police Force]] was called in to dispose of it.<ref name=ordnance/> The bypass opened in early 2019. The slip road is now a permanent fixture in the north of the park, where it runs in a depression for about 150 metres before entering a tunnel portal.
Previously, the park's location served as a [[typhoon shelter]], known as [[Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter]], used by small fishing boats and yachts during typhoon seasons. In the 1950s, the former bay was filled in, the shoreline was pushed north, and the government decided to create a public park on the [[Land reclamation in Hong Kong|reclaimed land]]. A new shelter was moved north of the park.{{Sfn|Wordie|2002|p=152}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gwulo.com/atom/19460 |title=1924 Looking east from the Peak |work=Gwulo: Old Hong Kong |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128061104/https://gwulo.com/atom/19460 |archive-date=21 January 2021 |access-date=18 February 2022 }}</ref>{{Sfn|Ingham|2007|pp=72–73}}


In 1955, a renovated [[Statue of Queen Victoria (Hong Kong)|statue of Queen Victoria]] of the [[United Kingdom]] was installed at the site. The statue was cast in [[Pimlico]], [[London]] towards the end of the nineteenth century and subsequently erected in [[Hong Kong]]'s [[Central, Hong Kong|Central District]]. It was transferred to [[Japan]] to be melted down during the [[Japanese occupation of Hong Kong|Japanese occupation]], but was retrieved in the [[aftermath of World War II]]. The park officially opened in October of 1957. In 1972, embankments in the park's northern half were completed in conjunction with the construction of the [[Cross-Harbour Tunnel]], and the [[Victoria Park Road]] was paved.{{Sfn|Ho|2012|pp=1–3}}{{Sfn|Ingham|2007|p=72}}{{Sfn|Curry|Hanstedt|2014|pp=77–79}}{{Sfn|Bailey|2009|p=25}}
==Features==
[[File:HK VictoriaParkTennisCourt.JPG|thumb|The tennis court in Victoria Park.]]
[[File:HK VictoriaPark Bandstand.JPG|thumb|Bandstand in Victoria Park.]]
There is a [[Statue of Queen Victoria (Hong Kong)|statue of Queen Victoria]], seated, at the main entrance of the park on Causeway Road. This statue was originally located in [[Statue Square]].


[[File:Victoria Park Swimming Pool 1957.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The park's swimming pool in 1957.]]
The park includes tennis courts, a [[Public swimming pools in Hong Kong|swimming pool]], a bowling green and other sports facilities such as the central [[lawn]], basketball courts, football pitches and multiple children's areas and playgrounds. The [[tennis]] centre court, enclosed with spectator seating for 3,607, is often used to host international tennis [[tournament]]s, such as the [[Hong Kong Open (tennis)|Hong Kong Open]] and [[Hong Kong Tennis Classic]]. There are several pools of water located in the garden area that are used for operating remote-controlled boats. The Victoria Park Swimming Pool, opened 1957 as the first public swimming pool complex in the territory, was recently reconstructed as an indoor complex with a 50-metre international standard pool and a multi-purpose, adjustable-depth secondary pool.


A central [[lawn]] was laid in the park in 1974, while a [[tennis court]] was built in 1981. In 1984, an overpass of the [[Island Eastern Corridor]] was built along Victoria Park Road, connecting Causeway Bay with the [[Taikoo Shing|Tai Koo Shing]] estate. In September 1996, a [[mainland Chinese]] artist protested Hong Kong's "dull, colonial culture" by painting the statue of Queen Victoria crimson and bending its nose with a hammer. The nose of the statue was rebuilt costing $150,000, and the perpetrator was sentenced to 28 days in prison.{{Sfn|Ingham|2007|p=75}}{{Sfn|Wai-ting|2004}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Queen Victoria has successful nose job |url=http://www.scmp.com/article/180291/queen-victoria-has-successful-nose-job |first=Jane |last=Moir |date=4 January 1997 |work=[[South China Morning Post]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124224326/http://www.scmp.com/article/180291/queen-victoria-has-successful-nose-job |archive-date=24 January 2021 |access-date=18 February 2022 }}</ref>
==Events==


From 2000 to 2002, the park received a major revamp and sports grounds were established. The park's popularity then increased especially among the [[Indonesians in Hong Kong|Indonesian]] [[Foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong|domestic workers]], while [[Sugar Street]], adjacent to the park, is home to numerous Indonesian food, spice, book, magazine and music shops, as well as restaurants and [[Exchange rate|bureau de change]]. The [[List of diplomatic missions of Indonesia|Consulate General of Indonesia]] is located on [[Leighton Road]], just a few streets from the park.{{Sfn|O'Connor|2012|pp=45–46}}{{Sfn|Constable|2007|pp=171–172}}
===Lunar New Year Fair===
[[File:HK CWB HKCL Victoria Park Flower Show n Citicorp Centre.JPG|thumb|View of Victoria Park from [[Hong Kong Central Library]] during the 2009 [[Hong Kong Flower Show]].]]
Every year, in the days preceding [[Chinese New Year]], the park is home to the [[Lunar New Year Fair]] ({{lang|zh-Hant-HK|年宵市場}}), which attracts large crowds late into the night. Other large events in the park include the [[Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo]] and the [[Hong Kong Flower Show]].


In 2013, a modern indoor complex was built on the site of the old outdoor pools. In 2014, new construction work began at the northern end of Victoria Park, sparking public outcry. A portion of the park was occupied by construction of a [[slip road]] for the [[Central–Wan Chai Bypass]] project. This was "hugely controversial" as local councillors and residents alleged they were not informed that the road would cut through the park. In March 2015, construction unearthed [[unexploded ordnance]] dating from [[World War II]] and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau of the [[Hong Kong Police Force]] was called in to dispose of it.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mok |first1=Danny |last2=Lai |first2=Ying-kit |title=Bomb squad set for fourth attempt to detonate wartime shell in Hong Kong's Victoria Park |url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1729708/wartime-shell-found-near-hong-kongs-victoria-park |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108100013/http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1729708/wartime-shell-found-near-hong-kongs-victoria-park |archive-date=8 November 2020 |work=South China Morning Post |date=5 March 2015 |access-date=18 February 2022 }}</ref>
===Political gatherings===
[[File:Victoria Park Hong Kong Tiananmen Vigil 2009.jpg|thumb|Hundreds of thousands attend the candle vigil commemorating the [[1989 Tiananmen Square protests|1989 Tiananmen Square massacre]] and demanding a democratic reform from [[People's Republic of China|communist China]]. (''Photo taken in 2009'')]]
Since 1990, a vigil attracting tens of thousands of people is held every year on June 4 to commemorate the [[1989 Tiananmen Square protests|1989 Tiananmen Square Crackdown]]. The park is also often used as a gathering point for demonstrations, such as the [[Hong Kong 1 July marches|July 1 marches]] and [[124 March]]. Events since [[Umbrella Revolution]] and the [[2019–20 Hong Kong protests|2019 protests]] has also revived the political role of the place among Hong Kong residents, such as the 8.18 Rally organized on 18 August (hence the name) 2019.


===City Forum===
== Features ==
=== Vegetation ===
{{main|City Forum}}
{{multiple images
[[Image:Indonesian maids in hong kong park.jpg|thumb|right|Indonesian domestic helpers congregate in Victoria Park on Sunday, while a protest marches in the background]]
| direction = vertical
Sponsored and broadcast to the public by [[Radio Television Hong Kong]], the City Forum 城市論壇 is usually held in the park every Sunday. It brings together politicians, academics and prominent public figures to discuss current public issues.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}
| total_width = 200
| align = right
| image1 = HK VPSP CWB 維多利亞公園游泳池 Victoria Park Swimming Pool Oct-2013 ZR2 02.JPG
| caption1 = Indoor swimming pool within the park.
| image2 = HK VictoriaParkTennisCourt.JPG
| caption2 = Central tennis court.
}}


Trees such as ''[[Jacaranda mimosifolia]]'', ''[[Melia azedarach]]'', ''[[Spathodea]]'', ''[[Delonix regia]]'' and ''[[Casuarina equisetifolia]]'' are found in the park.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/green/blossoms.html |title=Blossoms Around Town |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103045749/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/green/blossoms.html |archive-date=3 November 2021 |access-date=20 February 2022 |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department }}</ref> It also houses many trees that are registered as "old and valuable", including ''[[Ceiba pentandra]]'', ''[[Erythrina variegata]]'', ''[[Mimusops elengi]]'', ''[[Ficus virens]]'' and ''[[Ficus altissima]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/plants/ovt.html |title=Old and Valuable Tree |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015064125/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/plants/ovt.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department }}</ref>
The forum attracts tens of pro-Beijing men yelling expletives outside the venue, especially when there are pro-Democratic [[politician]]s participating. Such men are popularly known as the "[[uncles of Victoria Park]]" ({{lang|zh-Hant-HK|維園阿伯}}). {{citation needed|date=February 2015}}


=== Facilities ===
In 2010, due to the negative public sentiment aroused by the legislative reforms and from the lack of progress in universal suffrage in Hong Kong, there has been increased interest in the discussion of public issues. This resulted in heightened interest in the City Forum. There is an emergence of a new class of participants who is passionate about the current affairs, and predominantly male in the age category around 20s-30s, called "Brothers of Victoria Park" ({{lang|zh-Hant-HK|維園阿哥}}). Even though the title is very similar, their political agenda is at the opposite of the spectrum. {{citation needed|date=February 2015}}
In the central section of Victoria Park, there is a complex of fourteen [[Tennis court|tennis courts]], with the main court, which opened in 1981, seating approximately 3,600 spectators.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/tennis.html |title=Tennis Courts |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116002259/http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/tennis.html |archive-date=16 January 2021 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref> Two fields with artificial turf for playing [[bowls]] are nearby.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/lawn.html |title=Outdoor Bowling Green |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015125702/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/lawn.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref> A two-hectare central lawn is surrounded by pathways with trees to the west of the tennis courts.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/central.html |title=Central Lawn |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015125704/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/central.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref> A 625-meter jogging path around the lawn features six stops for diverse fitness training.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/fitness.html |title=Fitness Stations & Jogging Trail |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015125703/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/fitness.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref> Six public [[Association football|football]] pitches are located south of the courts and central lawn,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/soccer.html |title=Soccer Pitches |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015125704/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/soccer.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref> and a sitting [[Statue of Queen Victoria (Hong Kong)|statue of Queen Victoria]] stands next to them. Four [[Basketball court|basketball courts]] are located in the southeast section of the park, between the football pitches and the [[swimming pool]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/basket.html |title=Basketball Courts |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015125703/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/basket.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref>{{Sfn|Ng|2009|p=71}}


There are public [[Roller rink|roller rinks]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/roller.html |title=Roller Skating Rinks |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015125703/http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/roller.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref> [[handball]] and [[volleyball]] courts, and a small audience stand to the north of the swimming pool.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/handball.html |title=Handball cum Volleyball Courts |work=Leisure and Cultural Services |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015125701/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/handball.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref> There are four playgrounds to the north of the tennis courts, each with its own set of slides, swings, and exercise equipment, as well as a [[Pebble#Human use|pebble walking trail]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/children.html |title=Children Playground |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225082017/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/children.html |archive-date=25 February 2021 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/foot.html |title=Pebble Walking Trail |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015125701/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/foot.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref> A 954 square meter in size and a half-meter deep pond where [[model yachting]] takes place and an open stage with a bandstand suitable for a hundred spectators are located to the north of the central lawn.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/model.html |title=Model Boat Pool |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625011758/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/model.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/bandstand.html |title=Bandstand |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015125702/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/bandstand.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref> There is a public [[table tennis]] court with two tables.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/table_tennis.html |title=Table Tennis Table |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015125703/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/facilities/outdoor/table_tennis.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref> Most sports fields have restrooms, changing rooms, and drinking fountains. For security reasons, open portions of the park are patrolled around the clock by both local policemen and police teams.{{Sfn|Ng|2009|pp=71–72}}
===Art and culture===
The [[United Buddy Bears]] exhibition, which was displayed under the patronage of [[Jackie Chan]] in summer of 2004 on the historic lawn of Victoria Park, was the largest ''open air art show'' ever held in Hong Kong. About 2.0 million people saw the international exhibition in Victoria Park. The United Buddy Bears exhibition is probably the biggest of its kind, created by renowned artists from all over the world. Meanwhile, 140 member states of the [[United Nations]] are represented in this exhibition that has been shown in 20 metropolises on all 5 continents so far.


The indoor swimming complex, which was built at a cost of nearly [[Hong Kong dollar|HK$]]800 million and opened in September 2013,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Emily |last=Tsang |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1357247/wu-minxia-and-other-olympic-heroes-dive-new-victoria-park-pool |title=Wu Minxia and other Olympic heroes to dive at new Victoria Park pool |work=South China Morning Post |archive-url=https://archive.is/WpOHK |archive-date=23 Apr 2022 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref> is located in the park's eastern section, on the location of the Old Victoria Park Swimming Pool.<ref name="oldpool" /> It includes two pools with 2,500-seat spectator stands and an electronic scoreboard, as well as changing rooms, showers, restrooms, and wheelchair lifts.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/swim-intro/swim-location-hk/swim-address-wch.html#victoriapark |title=Information on Public Swimming Pools |url-status=dead |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706233307/http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/swim-intro/swim-location-hk/swim-address-wch.html#victoriapark |archive-date=6 July 2017 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/clpss/en/webApp/Swimming.do?swpId=5 |title=Victoria Park Swimming Pool |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015033509/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/clpss/en/webApp/Swimming.do?swpId=5 |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref> The Old Victoria Park Swimming Pool was opened with the park itself in 1957 and was the first public swimming pool in Hong Kong.<ref name="oldpool">{{Cite web |url=https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201308/28/P201308280518.htm |title=Old Victoria Park Swimming Pool to open for public visits before closure (with photos) |work=Government of Hong Kong |date=28 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190901184200/https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201308/28/P201308280518.htm |archive-date=1 September 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022 }}</ref>
==Transport==
[[Image:Victoria Park Large Pool.jpg|thumb|One of several man-made pools for reflection.]]
Transport to the park is rather convenient as it is just next to the busy [[Causeway Bay]] district. Visitors can arrive by MTR, getting off at either [[Causeway Bay station|Causeway Bay MTR station]] or [[Tin Hau station]]. Dozens of [[List of bus routes in Hong Kong|bus routes]] and the [[Hong Kong Tramways|trams]] also provide convenient access.


==See also==
== Events ==
=== Cultural events ===
*[[Hong Kong Tennis Classic]]
{{multiple images
* [[List of tennis stadiums by capacity]]
| direction = vertical
*[[Causeway Bay North station]]
| total_width = 200
| align = right
| image1 = Hong Kong Flower Show 2016 Flower sea 20160314.jpg
| caption1 = [[Hong Kong Flower Show]] 2016 in Victoria Park.
| image2 = HK CWB 銅鑼灣 Causeway Bay 維多利亞公園 Victoria Park LNY 年宵花市 Lunar New Year Fair Market February 2019 SSG 13.jpg
| caption2 = Market stall in the park during [[Lunar New Year Fair]].
}}


In the days leading up to [[Chinese New Year]], the park hosts the annual [[Lunar New Year Fair]],{{Sfn|Ingham|2007|p=72}}<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2184995/family-reunions-festive-meals-and-last-minute-shopping |title=Family reunions, festive meals and last-minute shopping as Hongkongers usher in Year of the Pig |first1=Ernest |last1=Kao |first2=Rachel |last2=Leung |first3=Sum |last3=Lok-kei |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114042024/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2184995/family-reunions-festive-meals-and-last-minute-shopping |archive-date=14 January 2020 |work=South China Morning Post |date=4 February 2019 |access-date=18 February 2022 }}</ref> which includes a plant market.<ref name="covid" /> Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong|COVID-19 pandemic]], the event was canceled in 2022.<ref name="covid">{{Cite news |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/31/hong-kong-gloomy-new-year |title=Little cheer for Year of the Tiger in Hong Kong as COVID bites |date=31 January 2022 |first=Suzanne |last=Sataline |access-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211144255/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/31/hong-kong-gloomy-new-year |archive-date=11 February 2022 |work=[[Al-Jazeera]] }}</ref> Other annual events such as [[Hong Kong Flower Show]],<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2017-03-10/detail-ifytetzm2983823.shtml |title=Hong Kong flower show to open at Victoria Park |date=10 March 2017 |last=Shanshan |first=Xu |archive-url=https://archive.is/VoPok |archive-date=19 February 2022 |work=[[China News Service]] |access-date=19 February 2022 }}</ref> [[Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo]],<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3159411/hong-kong-brands-and-products-expo-vendors-bemoan |title=Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo vendors bemoan crimped sales as Covid-19 rules limit crowds, take taste-testing off menu |first=Jack |last=Tsang |date=12 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111170027/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3159411/hong-kong-brands-and-products-expo-vendors-bemoan |archive-date=19 February 2022 |work=South China Morning Post |access-date=19 February 2022 }}</ref> [[Mid-Autumn Festival]],<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://wealth.hket.com/article/3061993/ |title=【中秋節2021】3大公園中秋燈飾今起亮燈　維園6米高迴旋木馬最啱打卡！ |trans-title=The lanters of Mid-Autumn Festival are lit up today in the 3 major parks, and the 6-meter-high carousel in Victoria Park is the best punch! |first=Li |last=Ying |date=17 September 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.is/XTAOB |archive-date=19 February 2022 |work=[[Hong Kong Economic Times]] |access-date=19 February 2022 |language=zh }}</ref> and [[Hong Kong Marathon]]<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3153578/hong-kong-marathon-was-lesson-how-not-host-large-scale-sporting |title=The Hong Kong Marathon was a lesson in how not to host a large-scale sporting event during the pandemic |first=Patrick |last=Blennerhassett |date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127084413/https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3153578/hong-kong-marathon-was-lesson-how-not-host-large-scale-sporting |archive-date=27 January 2022 |work=South China Morning Post |access-date=19 February 2022 }}</ref> are also held in the park.
==References==
{{reflist}}


Apart from annual events, employees of the [[List of diplomatic missions of Indonesia|Consulate General of Indonesia]] frequently arrange meetings and open-air training courses in the park as well.{{Sfn|Wordie|2002|p=152}} The [[United Buddy Bears]] exhibition, which was held on the central lawn of Victoria Park in 2004 under the patronage of [[Jackie Chan]]. The exhibition drew over 2 million visitors, making it Hong Kong's largest open-air art exposition.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200403/26/0326135.htm |title=Visit of Buddy Bears promotes peace, tolerance and public art |date=26 March 2004 |access-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050124190548/https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200403/26/0326135.htm |archive-date=24 January 2005 |work=[[Government of Hong Kong]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/tc/mo/training/bandchoirandorchestratraining/moyouthchild.html |title=音樂事務處地區青年中樂團 |trans-title=Music Office District Youth Chinese Orchestra |date=26 March 2004 |access-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.is/wjd0J |archive-date=18 February 2022 |language=yue |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department }}</ref> The "Arts Corner" is hosted in the South Pavilion Square every Sunday, except when there are citywide events. Here, artists sell their works, souvenirs, handicrafts, paintings, drawings, cartoons, and photographs in kiosks and small booths.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/help.html |archive-date=15 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015064127/http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/help.html |access-date=19 February 2022 |work=Leisure and Cultural Services Department |title=Arts Corner }}</ref>
==External links==

=== Political gatherings ===
Victoria Park serves as a gathering point for the annual [[Hong Kong 1 July marches|1 July marches]],{{Sfn|Ingham|2007|p=74}}<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28102644 |title=Hong Kong: Democracy rally 'draws 510,000 protesters' |date=2 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122142615/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28102644 |archive-date=22 January 2021 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=18 February 2022 }}</ref> and a place of commemoration to the [[1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre|Tiananmen Square massacre]] of 4 June 1989,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://time.com/3908678/tiananmen-massacre-26th-anniversary-hong-kong-china-vigil-victoria-park/ |title=Tens of Thousands Gather in Hong Kong to Remember the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre |first=Rishi |last=Iyengar |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=4 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115225915/https://time.com/3908678/tiananmen-massacre-26th-anniversary-hong-kong-china-vigil-victoria-park/ |archive-date=15 January 2019 |access-date=19 February 2022 }}</ref> with huge crowds gathering each year to mark the anniversary of the massacre, although the park was closed in June 2021 due to law enforcement restrictions imposed following the [[Hong Kong Autonomy Act]], which was enacted in 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57356140 |title=Hong Kong Tiananmen Square commemorations: In Pictures |date=4 June 2021 |access-date=18 February 2022 |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115014752/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57356140 |archive-date=15 November 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3136049/hong-kongs-tiananmen-vigil-police-close-down-part-victoria |title=Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigil: police close down part of Victoria Park to stop candlelight gatherings for banned June 4 event |first1=Clifford |last1=Lo |first2=Kathleen |last2=Magramo |first3=Tony |last3=Cheung |date=4 June 2021 |access-date=18 February 2022 |work=South China Morning Post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916064926/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3136049/hong-kongs-tiananmen-vigil-police-close-down-part-victoria |archive-date=16 September 2021 }}</ref> The park became a focal point for [[December 2005 protest for democracy in Hong Kong|pro-democracy protests]] in December 2005,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/world/asia/thousands-gather-in-hong-kong-for-first-wto-protest.html |title=Thousands gather in Hong Kong for first WTO protest |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=11 December 2005 |access-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022020408/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/world/asia/thousands-gather-in-hong-kong-for-first-wto-protest.html |archive-date=22 October 2018 }}</ref> [[2014 Hong Kong protests|2014 Occupy Movement]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/09/the-political-geography-of-hong-kongs-protests/380925/ |title=The Geography of Hong Kong's Protests |first=Bourree |last=Lam |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=30 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123074312/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/09/the-political-geography-of-hong-kongs-protests/380925/ |archive-date=23 January 2022 |access-date=19 February 2022 }}</ref> and [[2019–2020 Hong Kong protests|widespread anti-government demonstrations]] in the summer of 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-11/victoria-park-protest-1/11403632?nw=0 |title=Victoria Park protest |date=11 August 2019 |access-date=18 February 2022 |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |archive-url=https://archive.is/qOewt |archive-date=18 February 2022 }}</ref>

[[City Forum]], attended by government officials, politicians and business figures, and pundits who debate on the new government policies, was held at the park weekly on Sunday.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.voacantonese.com/a/6216534.html |title=開創香港直播政治論壇先河 “城市論壇”停播見證時代終結 |trans-title=Pioneering live broadcast of political forums in Hong Kong, "City Forum" was suspended to witness the end of the era |date=8 September 2021 |access-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908154205/https://www.voacantonese.com/a/6216534.html |archive-date=8 September 2021 |work=[[Voice of America]] |language=yue }}</ref> The forum was inspired by [[Speakers' Corner]] in [[London]] and was aired by Hong Kong government's broadcaster [[RTHK|Radio Television Hong Kong]]. It was discontinued in September 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Leung Mei |last=Yee |url=https://news.mingpao.com/ins/%E6%96%87%E6%91%98/article/20210907/s00022/1630940124983/%E5%88%A5%E4%BA%86-%E3%80%8A%E5%9F%8E%E5%B8%82%E8%AB%96%E5%A3%87%E3%80%8B-%E5%86%8D%E8%A6%8B-%E7%B6%AD%E5%9C%92%E9%98%BF%E4%BC%AF%EF%BC%88%E6%96%87-%E6%A2%81%E7%BE%8E%E5%84%80%EF%BC%89 |title=別了，《城市論壇》 |trans-title=Farewell, "City Forum" |date=7 September 2021 |access-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907040815/https://news.mingpao.com/ins/%E6%96%87%E6%91%98/article/20210907/s00022/1630940124983/%E5%88%A5%E4%BA%86-%E3%80%8A%E5%9F%8E%E5%B8%82%E8%AB%96%E5%A3%87%E3%80%8B-%E5%86%8D%E8%A6%8B-%E7%B6%AD%E5%9C%92%E9%98%BF%E4%BC%AF%EF%BC%88%E6%96%87-%E6%A2%81%E7%BE%8E%E5%84%80%EF%BC%89 |archive-date=7 September 2021 |work=[[Ming Pao]] |language=zh }}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist|3}}

== Sources ==
{{refbegin|2}}
* {{Cite book |first=Steven K. |last=Bailey |title=Exploring Hong Kong: A Visitor's Guide to Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories |url=https://archive.org/details/exploringhongkon0000bail |publisher=Things Asian Press |year=2009 |isbn=9781934159163 |ref={{SfnRef|Bailey|2009}} }}
* {{Cite book |first=Nicola |last=Constable |title=Maid to Order in Hong Kong: Stories of Migrant Workers |publisher=Cornell University Press |year=2007 |isbn=9780801446474 |ref={{SfnRef|Constable|2007}} }}
* {{Cite book |first1=Janel |last1=Curry |first2=Paul |last2=Hanstedt |title=Reading Hong Kong, Reading Ourselves |publisher=City University of HK Press |year=2014 |isbn=9789629372354 |ref={{SfnRef|Curry|Hanstedt|2014}} }}
* {{Cite book |first=Elizabeth |last=Ho |title=Neo-Victorianism and the Memory of Empire |publisher=A&C Black |year=2012 |isbn=9781441187703 |ref={{SfnRef|Ho|2012}} }}
* {{Cite book |first=Mike |last=Ingham |title=Hong Kong: A Cultural History |url=https://archive.org/details/hongkongcultural0000ingh |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2007 |isbn=9780195314977 |ref={{SfnRef|Ingham|2007}} }}
* {{Cite book |first1=Alessandro |last1=Inversini |first2=Roland |last2=Schegg |title=Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2016 |publisher=Springer |year=2016 |isbn=9783319282312 |ref={{SfnRef|Inversini|Schegg|2016}} }}
* {{Cite book |first=Pu |last=Miao |title=Public Places in Asia Pacific Cities: Current Issues and Strategies |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |year=2013 |isbn=9789401728157 |ref={{SfnRef|Miao|2013}} }}
* {{Cite book |first=Janet |last=Ng |title=Paradigm City: Space, Culture, and Capitalism in Hong Kong |publisher=State University of New York Press |year=2009 |isbn=9780791477229 |ref={{SfnRef|Ng|2009}} }}
* {{Cite book |first=Paul |last=O'Connor |title=Islam in Hong Kong: Muslims and Everyday Life in China's World City |publisher=Hong Kong University Press |year=2012 |isbn=9789888139576 |ref={{SfnRef|O'Connor|2012}} }}
* {{Cite article |first=Stephanie Cheung |last=Wai-ting |title=Public art in Hong Kong |work=HKU Scholars Hub |publisher=University of Hong Kong |year=2004 |ref={{SfnRef|Wai-ting|2004}} }}
* {{cite book |first=Jason |last=Wordie |title=Streets: Exploring Hong Kong Island |publisher=Hong Kong University Press |year=2002 |isbn=9789622095632 |ref={{SfnRef|Wordie|2002}} }}
{{refend|2}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin|2}}
* {{Cite book |first=Ka-Kin Helen |last=Chau |title=An Oasis for Children: Nursery and Daycare Centre in Victoria Park |publisher=BiblioBazaar |year=2017 |isbn=9781361116074 }}
* {{Cite book |first=Todd |last=Crowell |title=Tales from Victoria Park |publisher=Blacksmith Books |year=2016 |isbn=9789881613936 }}
* {{Cite book |first=Hing-Pong Jimmy |last=Luk |title=Sports Hall of Fame: A Sports and Museum Complex on Victoria Park |publisher=BiblioBazaar |year=2017 |isbn=9781361092224 }}
{{refend|2}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Victoria Park, Hong Kong}}
{{Commons category|Victoria Park, Hong Kong}}
* [http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/ Official website of Victoria Park]
* [http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/ Official website of Victoria Park]
* [http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/vp/gallery.html Photo gallery of the park]
* [http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9706/04/tiananmen.images/ Images from a vigil in Victoria Park, commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations]
* [http://www.discoverhongkong.com/au/see-do/great-outdoors/city-parks/victoria-park.jsp Discover Hong Kong - Victoria Park]
* [http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9706/04/tiananmen.images/ Images from commemorations of 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Victoria Park]
* [http://www.discoverhongkong.com/au/see-do/great-outdoors/city-parks/victoria-park.jsp Discover Hong Kong – Victoria Park]

{{Wan Chai District}}
{{Wan Chai District}}
{{Parks in Hong Kong}}
{{Parks in Hong Kong}}


[[Category:Causeway Bay]]
[[Category:Urban public parks and gardens in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Urban public parks and gardens in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Wan Chai District]]
[[Category:1957 establishments in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:1957 establishments in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Causeway Bay]]
[[Category:Wan Chai District]]

Revision as of 01:02, 23 April 2022

Victoria Park
維多利亞公園
General view of the park.
Victoria Park (Hong Kong) is located in Hong Kong Island
Victoria Park (Hong Kong)
Location on Hong Kong Island
TypeUrban park
Location1 Hing Fat Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island
Coordinates22°16′55″N 114°11′17″E / 22.28194°N 114.18806°E / 22.28194; 114.18806
Area19 hectares (47 acres)
OpenedOctober 1957; 66 years ago (1957-10)
Managed byLeisure and Cultural Services Department
StatusOpen all year
Websitewww.lcsd.gov.hk
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese維多利亞公園
Simplified Chinese维多利亚公园

Victoria Park (simplified Chinese: 维多利亚公园; traditional Chinese: 維多利亞公園; pinyin: Wéiduōlìyà Gōngyuán) is a large public park in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. The park is named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, whose monument is erected here. It is around 190,000 square metres (19 ha) in size[1][2] and contains several sporting facilities for tennis, association football, basketball, handball, volleyball, swimming, jogging, fitness, roller skating, and bowling.

The park first opened to the public in October 1957 and was revamped in the early 2000s. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong owns and operates it.[3][4] The park is open all year and is free of admission charge.[5] It is Hong Kong's most popular public park, with more visitors than Hong Kong and Kowloon parks combined.[6]

Site

Victoria Park is located on Hong Kong Island, in the Causeway Bay area of Wan Chai District. It is situated on the shore of the Causeway Bay typhoon shelter and separated by a breakwater from Victoria Harbour. The park is bounded by Causeway Road to the southeast, Gloucester Road to the west, Victoria Park Road and Island Eastern Corridor to the north, and Hing Fat Street to the east.[7][8]

The park is bordered on the south by the Hong Kong Central Library and the Regal Hongkong Hotel, on the east by the Park Towers residential complex, on the north by a fire station and Citicorp Centre office tower, and on the west by Windsor House retail mall and The Park Lane Hong Kong hotel. A small square, Tung Lo Wan Garden, is located in the northeastern portion of Victoria Park. Two stations of Island Line, Causeway Bay and Tin Hau, are located near the park. There are bus lines and a tramline along Causeway Road, which run beside the park. Several pedestrian bridges with escalators and elevators have been built to connect the park to the Causeway Road.[7][8]

History

Previously, the park's location served as a typhoon shelter, known as Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter, used by small fishing boats and yachts during typhoon seasons. In the 1950s, the former bay was filled in, the shoreline was pushed north, and the government decided to create a public park on the reclaimed land. A new shelter was moved north of the park.[9][10][11]

In 1955, a renovated statue of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom was installed at the site. The statue was cast in Pimlico, London towards the end of the nineteenth century and subsequently erected in Hong Kong's Central District. It was transferred to Japan to be melted down during the Japanese occupation, but was retrieved in the aftermath of World War II. The park officially opened in October of 1957. In 1972, embankments in the park's northern half were completed in conjunction with the construction of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, and the Victoria Park Road was paved.[12][13][14][15]

The park's swimming pool in 1957.

A central lawn was laid in the park in 1974, while a tennis court was built in 1981. In 1984, an overpass of the Island Eastern Corridor was built along Victoria Park Road, connecting Causeway Bay with the Tai Koo Shing estate. In September 1996, a mainland Chinese artist protested Hong Kong's "dull, colonial culture" by painting the statue of Queen Victoria crimson and bending its nose with a hammer. The nose of the statue was rebuilt costing $150,000, and the perpetrator was sentenced to 28 days in prison.[16][17][18]

From 2000 to 2002, the park received a major revamp and sports grounds were established. The park's popularity then increased especially among the Indonesian domestic workers, while Sugar Street, adjacent to the park, is home to numerous Indonesian food, spice, book, magazine and music shops, as well as restaurants and bureau de change. The Consulate General of Indonesia is located on Leighton Road, just a few streets from the park.[19][20]

In 2013, a modern indoor complex was built on the site of the old outdoor pools. In 2014, new construction work began at the northern end of Victoria Park, sparking public outcry. A portion of the park was occupied by construction of a slip road for the Central–Wan Chai Bypass project. This was "hugely controversial" as local councillors and residents alleged they were not informed that the road would cut through the park. In March 2015, construction unearthed unexploded ordnance dating from World War II and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force was called in to dispose of it.[21]

Features

Vegetation

Indoor swimming pool within the park.
Central tennis court.

Trees such as Jacaranda mimosifolia, Melia azedarach, Spathodea, Delonix regia and Casuarina equisetifolia are found in the park.[22] It also houses many trees that are registered as "old and valuable", including Ceiba pentandra, Erythrina variegata, Mimusops elengi, Ficus virens and Ficus altissima.[23]

Facilities

In the central section of Victoria Park, there is a complex of fourteen tennis courts, with the main court, which opened in 1981, seating approximately 3,600 spectators.[24] Two fields with artificial turf for playing bowls are nearby.[25] A two-hectare central lawn is surrounded by pathways with trees to the west of the tennis courts.[26] A 625-meter jogging path around the lawn features six stops for diverse fitness training.[27] Six public football pitches are located south of the courts and central lawn,[28] and a sitting statue of Queen Victoria stands next to them. Four basketball courts are located in the southeast section of the park, between the football pitches and the swimming pool.[29][30]

There are public roller rinks,[31] handball and volleyball courts, and a small audience stand to the north of the swimming pool.[32] There are four playgrounds to the north of the tennis courts, each with its own set of slides, swings, and exercise equipment, as well as a pebble walking trail.[33][34] A 954 square meter in size and a half-meter deep pond where model yachting takes place and an open stage with a bandstand suitable for a hundred spectators are located to the north of the central lawn.[35][36] There is a public table tennis court with two tables.[37] Most sports fields have restrooms, changing rooms, and drinking fountains. For security reasons, open portions of the park are patrolled around the clock by both local policemen and police teams.[38]

The indoor swimming complex, which was built at a cost of nearly HK$800 million and opened in September 2013,[39] is located in the park's eastern section, on the location of the Old Victoria Park Swimming Pool.[40] It includes two pools with 2,500-seat spectator stands and an electronic scoreboard, as well as changing rooms, showers, restrooms, and wheelchair lifts.[41][42] The Old Victoria Park Swimming Pool was opened with the park itself in 1957 and was the first public swimming pool in Hong Kong.[40]

Events

Cultural events

Hong Kong Flower Show 2016 in Victoria Park.
Market stall in the park during Lunar New Year Fair.

In the days leading up to Chinese New Year, the park hosts the annual Lunar New Year Fair,[13][43] which includes a plant market.[44] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was canceled in 2022.[44] Other annual events such as Hong Kong Flower Show,[45] Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo,[46] Mid-Autumn Festival,[47] and Hong Kong Marathon[48] are also held in the park.

Apart from annual events, employees of the Consulate General of Indonesia frequently arrange meetings and open-air training courses in the park as well.[9] The United Buddy Bears exhibition, which was held on the central lawn of Victoria Park in 2004 under the patronage of Jackie Chan. The exhibition drew over 2 million visitors, making it Hong Kong's largest open-air art exposition.[49][50] The "Arts Corner" is hosted in the South Pavilion Square every Sunday, except when there are citywide events. Here, artists sell their works, souvenirs, handicrafts, paintings, drawings, cartoons, and photographs in kiosks and small booths.[51]

Political gatherings

Victoria Park serves as a gathering point for the annual 1 July marches,[52][53] and a place of commemoration to the Tiananmen Square massacre of 4 June 1989,[54] with huge crowds gathering each year to mark the anniversary of the massacre, although the park was closed in June 2021 due to law enforcement restrictions imposed following the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which was enacted in 2020.[55][56] The park became a focal point for pro-democracy protests in December 2005,[57] 2014 Occupy Movement,[58] and widespread anti-government demonstrations in the summer of 2019.[59]

City Forum, attended by government officials, politicians and business figures, and pundits who debate on the new government policies, was held at the park weekly on Sunday.[60] The forum was inspired by Speakers' Corner in London and was aired by Hong Kong government's broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong. It was discontinued in September 2021.[61]

References

  1. ^ Miao 2013, p. 173.
  2. ^ Bailey 2009, pp. 31–32.
  3. ^ "Introduction". Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  4. ^ Ng 2009, p. 70.
  5. ^ "Opening Hours and Admission". Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  6. ^ Inversini & Schegg 2016, pp. 190–192.
  7. ^ a b "Getting Here". Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Park Map". Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
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Sources

Further reading

  • Chau, Ka-Kin Helen (2017). An Oasis for Children: Nursery and Daycare Centre in Victoria Park. BiblioBazaar. ISBN 9781361116074.
  • Crowell, Todd (2016). Tales from Victoria Park. Blacksmith Books. ISBN 9789881613936.
  • Luk, Hing-Pong Jimmy (2017). Sports Hall of Fame: A Sports and Museum Complex on Victoria Park. BiblioBazaar. ISBN 9781361092224.
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