For lovers & parents, 3 lawns in urban Hong Kong

Three lawns in urban Hong Kong for lovers and parents

There are 3 lawns, where lovers may relax freely and parents may play with children happily, in the crowded urban Hong Kong.

(1) Lawn in the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade

You can enjoy unbeatable view of the Victoria Harbour and beautiful sunset when you are having a picnic or riding bicycle under the tallest International Commerce Center. 

On Sunday, there are free cultural activities. 

In the near future, the West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong Palace Museum (for the exhibits from Beijing's Forbidden City) and the high speed train terminus will be right next to it.

(2) Lawn in the Tamar Park

Tamar Park is a large open public space in the Admiralty Area. 

When you are lying down on the lawn, you can enjoy the beautiful view of Kowloon and see a huge modern architecture, the Central Government Complex, where the Hong Kong Government and Hong Kong Legislative Council locate.

(3) Lawn in the Victoria Park 

The lawn in the Victoria Park is the grassy oasis in the hustle and bustle Causeway Bay District. 

Lovers and parents can even go to the nearby Hong Kong Central Library, where lovers may relax at the cafe and parents can read the interesting books with children.

For further information, please contact Frank the tour guide.

Five WWII relics in the city of Hong Kong

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. 

For private tour planning about the WWII relics, please contact Frank the tour guide.

YOU may also consider the Round Hong Kong Island private tour.

YOU can visit the out of the common tourist track Chung Hom Kok Battery in the southern part of Hong Kong during the tour.