Statue Square, located next to the Central Station gate and opposite the iconic HSBC building, is a nice spot for relaxation & clicks.

Surprisingly, there are not many statues in Statue Square. There used to be more. Today, there is only a single, unexceptional bronze statue of Sir Thomas Jackson, of HSBC bank. He is standing all alone, probably wondering where everyone else went? Originally called Royal Square, the space was dedicated to the British royalty. A statue of Queen Victoria sitting under a domed shrine was erected in 1896 to commemorate her Golden Jubilee. Over time, statues of Edward VII, Queen Alexandra, the Duke of Connaught, George V and Queen Mary were added. It was intended as a powerful display of imperial power and glory. When the Japanese invaded and occupied Hong Kong during WWII (1941-45), they immediately ripped them out, sending the stark and brutal message that this was now Japanese territory and under Japanese authority and power. The statues were mostly sent to Japan to be melted down for munitions. Queen Victoria was somehow saved and was later relocated to Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. Thomas Jackson was reinstalled in his original position, although facing in a new direction Even without the statues, it is an interesting square to walk through. From here you can see many of Hong Kong’s most significant buildings, including the old colonial Supreme Court and Cenotaph. Across the road are Norman Foster’s HSBC building, the old Bank of China and the fabulous new Bank of China Tower.