See five WWII relics in the city center of Hong Kong
15 August 2015, is the 70th anniversary of Japan's
surrender. Hong Kong was invaded by Japan in 1941. You can still see Hong Kong's WWII history
through five relics in the city of Hong Kong.
(1) Peninsula Hotel
The Christmas decoration of Peninusla Hotel
is nice. But on the Christmas day of
1941, when Japan fully occupied Hong Kong, the grand hotel had no lighting at
all because the power station was damaged.
Hong Kong Governor, Mark Young, was forced to
sign the armistice in the room 336 of the hotel under dim candle light.
You can still have afternoon tea set at the lobby floor of the hotel.
You may even try to book and stay at the room 336 to recollect the history!
(2) Defense position at Stanley Market
There is still a concrete defense position
at the Stanley Market next to a big banyan tree.
Long before WWII, British leaders once
guessed that Hong Kong's enemy would come from the sea.
So lots of defense facilities were built on
the southern part of the Hong Kong Island.
In 1941, however, Japanese Army came from the north.
Although there were heavy fighting and casualties, the defenders at Stanley could withstand the enemies effectively.
They were the last to surrender to the Japanese.
(3) Osborn statue at the Hong Kong Park
During the fierce 18-day battle of Hong
Kong, defenders fought bravely.
On 19
December, Canadian defender, Company Sergeant Major Osborn and his company were
besieged by the Japanese at Mount Butler.
For covering his comrades, Osborn just picked up the enemy's grenades and
threw them back to the enemy.
At last,
Osborn even threw himself on a grenade to save his comrades.
The hero was posthumously awarded the Victoria
Cross and a statue was made to remember him.
(4) Private Maxwell's grave near the St John's
Cathedral
Private Maxwell was killed in Wan Chai on 23
December 1941, just two days before the
fall of Hong Kong.
As that was impossible to ship the Catholic Maxwell's body
to the cemetery, his comrades decided to bury him near the Protestant St John's
Cathedral.
Later, people led Maxwell rests in peace permanently in Central after the war.
(5) Queen Victoria Statue at Victoria Park
Queen Victoria Statue was once the icon of
the Statue Square in Central.
For securing more metals to make more weapons
before its defeat, Japanese Army decided to 'invite' the queen to go to Japan,
i.e. STOLE the bronze statue and tried to MELT it.
After Japanese surrender, the Allied Army found
this VIP in a warehouse and sent her back to Hong Kong.
In 1957, Hong Kong Government
placed the statue at the entrance of a new Victoria Park in Causeway Bay.
