French "Spiderman" Spotted in Hong Kong

An interesting video of an "interesting" man...

French free climber Alain Robert, aka "Spiderman", scales the 27-storey headquarters of the Hang Seng Bank in Hong Kong.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20110126/video/vwl-spiderman-in-hong-kong-15af341.html

Hong Kong Island

I came across this image of the island itself...

...and the top part looks very much like a dragon. 

So, sticking with the dragon theme...

...I traced the island shape and turned the top section into a dragon.

Chinese Dragons

I just love the look of Chinese dragons...

My own attempts...

Here I've combined a lot of buildings and skyscrapers with bright colours, as these are what Hong Kong is famed for. The main idea being that the dragon is like a road or "map" through the city; like a shortcut through, much like the outdoor escalators mentioned earlier.

Signs

Huge, vibrant, colourful signs are a big part of Hong Kong...

A quick felt sketch concentrating on the colours and signs of the city.

Biro Sketches

A couple of quick biro sketches of the general city and the "Lippo Centre" building...

Quite an abstract drawing looking at the shapes of the Lippo Centre building and a reflection.

Lippo Centre

A beautiful building in Hong Kong...

 

Fortune Cookie!

Just thought I'd put this up...

 

An Evil Spirit Getting Scared By It's Reflection in a Feng Shui "BaGua" Mirror

Another drawing...

My Own Chinese Mask Designs

A few quick drawings of some chinese-style masks...

Chinese Masks

The mention of evil spirits got me thinking about how these monsters/spirits are portrayed. So I've looked at Chinese masks for inspiration on drawing and designing my own.

Feng Shui "BaGua" Mirror

As mentioned in the list of facts, this is used to scare away "evil spirits".

A "Luopan" - Feng Shui Compass

Used to determine the precise direction of a structure or item.

A building in Hong Kong with a hollow middle hole, maximizing on Feng Shui benefits

Feng Shui

Initially looking through the interesting facts, I was interested in Feng Shui; particularly the thought of hanging up a special mirror to scare away evil spirits. Below are some things I’ve found out about Feng Shui itself:

·         Feng shui is related to the concepts of yin and yang, and chi.

·         Proper practice of Feng Shui is meant to maintain good health, wealth, relationships, creativity and more.

·         The aim of Feng Shui is to create a living and working (and dying — Feng Shui is for graveyards, too) environment in harmony with nature and the flow of energy.

·         The details of Feng Shui relate to position of elements, colour and materials.

·         Fountains, mirrors and crystals are particularly important accessories in Feng Shui.

·         Feng Shui literally means "wind-water."

Outdoor Escalators in Hong Kong...

An outdoor escalator in Hong Kong...

...Another outdoor escalator in Hong Kong.


This one is apparently the "Longest Covered Outdoor Escalator in The World". Interesting...

Interesting Facts about Hong Kong

I have begun my exploration into Hong Kong by looking up and selecting some interesting facts about the place. I will later pick out some of my favourite aspects to explore further.


Continent:          Asia
Country:            China
Region:              Hong Kong S.A.R. (Special Administrative Region) 
City:                  Hong Kong 
Local Name:       香港   - “Fragrant Harbour” 
Climate:             Sub-tropical 
Population:        More than 7 million

·         Hong Kong is situated on the south-eastern coast of China and covers an area of 1,104 square kilometres (425 square miles).

·         It comprises of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories, which includes 262 outlying islands.

·         Britain gained Hong Kong Island after the defeat of the Chinese in the Opium War of 1842.

·         Hong Kong is now governed under the principle of "one country, two systems", under which China has agreed to give the region a high degree of autonomy (independence) and to preserve its economic and social systems for 50 years from the date of the handover (1997).

·         Kowloon, one of Hong Kong's mainland regions, means “Nine Dragons”

·         Hong Kong is very hilly and there are outdoor escalators in the Central district of the Island.

·         The Regent Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui has been designed so that the dragons can pass through and feed at the harbour. There is a fountain to attract them and huge glass windows to allow them to pass through!

·         Feng Shui (wind/water beliefs) is an important consideration in the design of buildings. Geomancers divine the harmonies of the site and even doors, windows and furniture are positioned to balance the 8 elements of nature and the spirit of Yin and Yang.

·         Feng Shui mirrors are hung on houses, shops and restaurants to prevent evil spirits from entering the buildings. The mirrors are octagonal and have a concave mirror inside, so when the spirit looks at it he becomes scared of his image and goes away.

·         Temples should always have hills behind them and face the sea for good luck.

·         Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers in the world. Classified as buildings with more than 14 floors, Hong Kong has around 8000, almost double that of New York its nearest rival.