Hong Kong, a densely populated metropolis, is commonly portrayed as the city with skyscrapers towering along the Victoria Harbor. Despite the social development and Western influence, the ancient Chinese art feng shui still plays a role in the arrangement of high rises. Feng shui masters are consulted to start or improve a business, to attract tourists and to create an auspicious address for the governor’s house.

Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation was one of them. The building is in Central, designed by Noman Foster & Partners. The architect was asked not to locate the banking hall on the ground floor level. Otherwise, the bank would block off the Queen’s Road southern side, where lay the dragon vein. That would create bad fengshui. So the entire ground level was turned over to public use. Also the escalator’s orientation was consulted because where people come in or go out a building is very important for the business.

Another example is the Bank of China building, also in Central. Bank of China was designed by I.M. Pei, a famous architect. But the sharp angles are considered too aggressive, and that might hurt others. So HSBC, which is located near BoC, did something to balance. On the roof of HSBC there were too cannon-like cement structures facing Bank of China. It looks like HSBC is firing back at BoC, its business rival.

Fengshui also became part of Hong Kong culture. On a book named Traditional Chinese festivals and Local Celebrations, which introduces Hong Kong's tourist attraction, Fengshui was listed as a sigle chaper. There's also a "yellow page" listing lots of fengshui experts who provide consultancy service to the potential costomers.

Local politicians are among fengshui master’s clients. The governor’s house was considered to have good fengshui when it was built. As seen in the plan or in topology, the place, where Qi concentrates, it is about half way from Victoria Peak to Central. Every time when fengshui expert helped to re-arrange its interior decoration, Apple Daily would have a full section explaining the changes.

Fengshui is part of the landscape of Hong Kong urban planning and goes into the high rise to play a part in the interior decoration. Maybe only in Hong Kong, the crossroad of east and west, can ancient Chinese science and capitalized industry find a happy marriage.

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