The sculpture was part of a set of commemorations to Tiananmen victims in Hong Kong, which for almost a quarter-century stood as testament to the city’s differences from the Chinese mainland under the “one country, two systems” principle, whereby Hong Kong had a high degree of autonomy. Every year until 2019, thousands of residents would attend a peaceful vigil in Victoria Park, and light a candle to honor the lives lost — estimates range from several hundred to 10,000 — in the crackdown.