Celebration time for Golden Bauhinia Square as Hong Kong’s ceremonial centre to get major makeover by 2027

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”.