The
Splendid Bronze Cauldron for Return of Sovereignty
On
New Yearˇ¦s Eve, 1998, a new bronze Cauldron was
placed in the Di Tan Square on a lower level opposite
the Tian Tan Big Buddha, echoing the Big Buddha
from afar. Denoting the prosperity and well-being
of Hong Kong, 1 July 1997 marked an end to Britainˇ¦s
sovereignty of 165 years over Hong Kong; the Special
Administrative Region was established and Hong
Kong returned to its motherland. The bronze Cauldron
was created to commemorate this event.
The
body of the cauldron and the pedestal weighs 3000
kg and 2000 kg respectively, its height is 4.1
m. The surface of the tripod was engraved with
lucid relief pattern of Bauhinia, the symbol of
Hong Kong SAR. Blooming on the ground, underneath
the clouds and above the waves of the sea, the
Bauhinia prescribed a scene depicting the prosperity
of the SAR. The origination of the casting of
the cauldron by the Organising Committee of Activities
on Return of Sovereignty, as well as the names
of those who had made contributions to it were
also inscribed on the cauldron. In the middle
of the list was an apothegm ˇ§ Spring in Hong Kongˇ¨
written by the Chief Executive Tung Chi-wa, signifying
the vitality of all living things brought forth
by the dawn of spring.
The Introduction and salient points of the Basic
Law were engraved on the internal wall of the
cauldron to impart a historical meaning to this
masterpiece. Not only is the cauldron consecrated
to the Big Buddha and a monument to the historical
event of the return of sovereignty to our motherland,
it is also a treasure of art that tourists cannot
afford to miss.
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