MEMORIAL
PARK
A
LTHOUGH more than ten years have elapsed since the death of Mr. Eu Tong Sen, he will ever remain in the memories of
Hong Kong residents for his genial
nature, his many acts of benevolence and, above all, for the many many magnificent buildings that he erected in the Colony during his lifetime.
He was responsible for the con- struction of what are probably two of the most outstanding residences in the Colony, "Euston" on Bonham Road and "Eucliff" at Repulse Bay. As private residences they are more than outstanding, they are unique and, in themselves, will ever be a tribute to his memory.
It had always been the desire of the family to erect a memorial which would depart from the traditional ideas of a mausoleum, one that would not only be a dignified resting-place for the departed, but would also become a place of beauty and meditation for the benefit of the living.
The war years intervening have of course delayed the carrying out of their plans, but the project has now been completed and is a truly fitting memorial to a really great gentleman.
It has taken the form of a public memorial park on an extensive site adjacent to the late Mr. Eu Tong Sen's country house on Wong U Tan Island, Taipo, where he spert so many happy years and where he was laid to rest in 1941. The ar- chitects, Messrs. Palmer & Turner,
General view of the Memorial Park,
were commissioned to carry out this unusual task and a very admirable job they made of it.
The whole area of the memorial
garden is enclosed by a low wall, built of stones quarried on the island. The stone for this wall, as well as that for the memorial itself, was cut and trimmed into a fine smooth finish and every piece selected and shaped to fit into its required position. The perimeter wall was designed to include stone
benefit of the family and the public seats at suitable intervals for the
visiting the shrine.
The gardens have been beautifully planned and are laid out with stretches of well-kept lawn divided by the gravelled tree-shaded path- ways. The entire landscaping has been cleverly arranged to direct one's
interest to the bronze bust of Mr. Eu Tong Sen by the well-known sculptor and artist, the late Mr. Chan Shik Kwan, and which is the most striking feature on entering the park. It is mounted on a granite plinth in front of which is a granite table, and below this a kneeling platform for the worshippers. This central grouping is flanked by two waterlily pools, with a fountain playing into each, the whole plan being moulded into a graceful
this shrine geometrical pattern which makes of this shrine "a thing of beauty and a joy forever". It is all constructed of the fine granite already mentioned while the lily pools themselves are finished internally in Venetian mosaic.
The General Contractors were Sung Cheun Fat.
Grouping of the Lily Pond and Statue.
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