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The Hong Kong Memorial was erected after the First World War as a general memorial to all Chinese who served and died with the Commonwealth forces. Many were casualties of the Chinese Labour Corps and have known graves in France and Belgium. Others who served with the Commonwealth navies, merchant services and the Inland Water Transport of the Royal Engineers died at sea, or in Iraq, have no know grave.
During the Second World War, Chinese living in Hong Kong and Singapore served with local auxiliary formations of fighting forces, such as the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps. Many of the dead have known graves but as local records were lost or destroyed during the Japanese occupation, there are many more whose names and graves are not known. After the war, the Chinese community in Hong Kong suggested that the existing memorial be given a new inscription commemorating in general terms all Chinese dead of both wars. This suggestion was adopted and the inscription in English and Chinese now reads:
IN MEMORY OF THE CHINESE WHO DIED LOYAL TO THE ALLIED CAUSE IN THE WARS OF 1914-18 AND 1939-45
The memorial itself bears no names but the accompanying registers record 941 casualties of the First World War and 1,494 from the Second World War, whose graves are not known.
The Hong Kong Memorial stands at the main entrance to the Botanic Gardens, Victoria, Hong Kong.
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