Bauhinia is an orchid tree, and the orchid is the main symbol of Hong Kong: this very flower is depicted on its flag and coat of arms. Five white petals with a red star on each serve as a sign of unity and harmony.
Hong Kong, as a special administrative region, was returned to China on July 1, 1997. In honor of this event, the central government presented the new administrative unit with a gilded sculpture of an ever-blooming bauhinia. It was installed on the waterfront in the Wan Chai district, in front of the Convention and Exhibition Centre.
It was in honor of the “stone flower” that the square was named, and it has since become the most symbolic place in Hong Kong. From here, a magnificent view of the harbor opens up, and it is best to admire the sculpture in the evening, when it is beautifully illuminated by the “Symphony of Lights.” On the other side of the square stands the Reunification Monument — a 20-meter stele made of granite slabs symbolizing the years.
Every day, a ceremony of raising the Chinese and Hong Kong flags takes place here: in the morning at 07.50, in the evening at 18.00. On the first day of each month, extended ceremonies are held, and on July 1, the day of reunification with China, special, even more solemn ones.
