Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens
The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens (CN: 香港動植物公園) was founded in 1864 and opened in 1871 making it the oldest park in Hong Kong and one of the oldest in the world.
Features of the park are
- Aviary – featuring over 30 species
- Mammal enclosure – featuring meerkats, gibbons, lemurs, tamarin, sloth, saki, orangutang, and monkeys
- Reptile exhibit – featuring radiated and spurred tortoises
- Greenhouse – featuring seven thematic displays
- Eight themed gardens
- Memorials and a bronze statue of King George VI
You can download a map of the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens with trails and facilities here.
Admission to the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is free and open hours are
- Fountain Terrace Garden 5am – 10 pm
- Green House/ Education and Exhibition Centre 9am – 4:30 pm
- Other Areas 6am – 7pm
Nearby
- Government House (香港禮賓府)
- The Peak Tram (中環花園道山頂纜車總站)
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Wikipedia Says
History
The park was previously named Bing Tau Fa Yuen (「兵頭花園」). “Bing Tau” literally means “the head of the soldiers” or the “Commander-in-Chief”. According to Hong Kong’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department, it was nicknamed as such by the city’s Chinese community, as it was the former site of the city’s Government House. Others said Bing Tau was just the phonetic transliteration of the first two syllables of the word botanical. In the old days, many lovers liked to go there on a date.
Memorials
At the southern entrance to the gardens, at Upper Albert Road, is a memorial arch dedicated to the Chinese who died assisting the Allies during the two world wars. The inscription on the lintel reads: “In Memory of the Chinese who died loyal to the Allied cause in the Wars of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945”. The granite arch in the shape of a paifang was erected in 1928. Reference to the Second World War was added later.
A bronze statue of King George VI was erected in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of British colonial rule over Hong Kong (1841–1941).
Plants
There are more than 1,000 species of plants in the gardens, mostly indigenous to tropical and sub-tropical regions. It includes some rare species like the dawn redwood and the local Ailanthus. Besides these, some species which can produce flowers throughout the year can also be found there, like the Hong Kong orchid tree.
Different Species are grown in the Thematic gardens in the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens.
Animals
Apart from the plants, there are over 600 birds, 50 mammals and 20 reptiles, including many different species. The Hong Kong zoo has come under “fire for ‘outdated’ facilities” and inadequate, overcrowded conditions for the animals housed within its confines. The South China Morning Post reported the Kadoorie Institute, the SPCA, Animals Asia and Orangutanaid “expressed sincere doubts over the welfare of its animals and recommended that the park be returned to its original status as a botanical garden Later in the year, Jane Goodall expressed her “concern over the treatment of orangutans in Hong Kong’s zoo” saying that they “were not in a good situation”, and adding that “large animals in small cages with nothing to do are not happy animals”.
Source: Wikipedia
Map
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