Shocked I tell you! At how many people asked what my poppy was for. I know it is a European and Commonwealth thing, but this place was part of that until 5 years ago and it does commemorate the end of something called a WORLD war. Shocking. Google knows.
However, I didn’t know about the Taiping Rebellion. So, I’ll shut it.
The Taiping Rebellion (1851–1864) was one of the bloodiest conflicts in history, a clash between the forces of Imperial China and those inspired by a Hakka self-proclaimed mystic named Hong Xiuquan (洪秀全), who was also a Christian convert who had claimed that he was the new Messiah and younger brother of Jesus Christ. Most accurate sources put the total deaths at about 20 million civilians and army personnel, although some claim the death toll was much higher (as many as 50 million according to at least one source.
Talking of WWI, check out this old feller:
Henry Allingham, 109, from Eastbourne in East Sussex, was a WWI aircraft engineer and is the last survivor from the Royal Air Force’s creation in 1918.
“We owe so much to these men who gave all they could have given on my behalf and everyone’s behalf. It is so important that we acknowledge them.”
Mr Allingham was accompanied by 12 trainee aircraft engineers from RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton.
He wished them success in their careers, adding: “I’d like to join up again. I’d give it another go if I could.”
They don’t make ‘em like they used to. I moan at having to get out of bed at 6am. OK, I’ll shut it.
Your comments about World War I remind me of a stone monument that is one of the few historical structures still left in Central. It’s called the Cenotaph in English or 歐 戰 記 念 碑 in Chinese. It commemorates the end of World War I. Every time I see the Cenotaph, I think of HK’s interesting history and the old photos and postcards showing 皇 后 像 廣 場 Statue Square and 香 港 會 the HK Club.
There’s a Cenotaph in London in the middle of the street (I forgot the name of the street) in Whitehall. Looks the same and everything.
The Gurkhas also have a monument nearby, if I’m not mistaken. I was in London on Rememberance Day last year and there were all kind of flowers and wreaths.
People won’t do that here. They would rather vandalize memorials here in the name of being “progressive”, not realizing that these men died to defend their right to be annoying.
Interesting how after 1997, the HKSAR chained off the HK Cenotaph and dun allow ppl to get anywhere near it. Wonder why?