During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, several bronze statues were seized and shipped to Japan to be melted down for wartime munitions.
The square's name persists as a historical relic, even though the namesake statues of King George V, King Edward VII, and Queen Victoria were removed long ago.
The statue of Sir Thomas Jackson was temporarily removed in 1941 but was returned to its original plinth in 1962.
The square is built on the Praya Reclamation, a late 19th-century project that pushed the original coastline further into Victoria Harbour.
The adjacent Legislative Council Building, now the Court of Final Appeal, was formerly the Supreme Court of Hong Kong.
Statue Square is a historic public plaza in Hong Kong's Central business district that served as the focal point of colonial administration. Despite its name, the square currently hosts only one permanent statue, that of Sir Thomas Jackson, the former chief manager of HSBC. The site is surrounded by significant architectural landmarks including the Legislative Council Building, the HSBC Main Building, and the Prince's Building. It occupies land reclaimed from the harbor in the late 19th century. Historically, it contained multiple statues of British royals, most of which were removed or relocated during and after the Japanese occupation of World War II. Today, it functions as a shaded pedestrian thoroughfare and a common gathering place for domestic workers on their rest days. The square sits at the intersection of major financial powerhouses and historical colonial architecture.
From the south end looking north, framing the Sir Thomas Jackson statue against the backdrop of the modern glass-and-steel skyscrapers.
Visit on a weekday morning to avoid the high density of weekend crowds.
Look for the plaque on the base of the Sir Thomas Jackson statue, which commemorates his contribution to the development of the city's banking sector.
Combine your visit with a short walk to the nearby Court of Final Appeal building for its granite neo-classical architecture.
Visiting on Sundays, when the square is completely filled by large gatherings of domestic workers, making it difficult to move through or view the statue.
Maintain a respectful tone as the area is frequently used as a congregating space by local workers and is adjacent to high-court judicial buildings.
