Bank of Pei

14 June 2010 - The Bank of China is without any doubt one of the landmark buildings in Hong Kong. Architect I.M. Pei created a building that combines the aspirations of the Chinese people with goodwill for the colonial British. The original design included x-shaped arches, but in Chinese culture the X symbolizes death, so the plan had to be abandoned. Instead, Pei choose for diamond-shaped forms. Also, the lower half of the building is inspired by bamboo, an symbol of prosperity in Asia. Hong Kong people still feel the building has too many sharp corners, which may cause bad feng shui and bad luck for neighbors like the Legislative Council and Governors House. From 1989 to 992 the Bank of China building was the tallest building of Hong Kong. In fact, it is said the building was deliberately designed to dwarf the nearby Hong Kong Bank. Fascinating and beautiful!