Instead of Queen’s Road Central, let’s have Sun Yat Sen Avenue in Hong Kong. Even the queen may approve
N. Balakrishnan says it’s time some street names were changed to reflect our new political realities. We’d only be doing what the city’s former British rulers are so good at – changing traditions when it suits
There is not a street or road named after Dr Sun Yat-sen in Hong Kong. However, there are streets named after him in Calcutta, India, and in many other places, including even Mauritius.
It is true that there is a museum in Hong Kong about Sun’s life and a statue at the University of Hong Kong, among others, but, considering how important Sun himself considered Hong Kong, it seems strange that he is not more prominent in the city.
In 1923, while speaking at HKU, Sun said: “I feel as though I have returned home, because Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong are my intellectual birthplace.” Thus, considering how important he regarded Hong Kong, one would have thought that the man who overthrew the world’s oldest feudal social order and monarchy deserves more recognition.
As Oscar Wilde said, those who think clothes are not important should try attending church naked
The Americans honoured George Washington, the man who overthrew British rule, by naming the capital city and even a state after him. Napoleon is everywhere in Paris.
Hong Kong, however, continues to name its main thoroughfare after the self-appointed “Empress of India” Queen Victoria. The fact is that she was living off opium receipts from China, was not democratically elected and punished her subjects who rose up in the “Indian Mutiny” by blowing them up with cannons – even though they may not teach these things in history lessons in Britain or Hong Kong.
Whenever one raises the question of changing colonial names, apologists for colonialism and even some well-intentioned people claim that substance is more important than names. Of course names and appearances are important. As Oscar Wilde said, those who think clothes are not important should try attending church naked!
Hong Kong’s colonial-era postboxes should be treasured, not covered up or destroyed
