[Leica] More Hong Kong Pictures M8 and 24 Elmarit

[cummer at netvigator.com (H&ECummer)]

Hello Luggers,

After a long negotiation I managed to gain access to the upper deck of  
the HSBC Building in Central Hong Kong and here are three photos, one  
regular and two panos, taken from that vantage point:

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Hong+Kong+Pix/EastLippo2pano24ElW.jpg.html
http://tinyurl.com/d3ngnp

Sir Norman Foster's HSBC Building is more like a giant mechano set  
than a building and the supports make for interesting angles,
Here is a view East toward the Lippo Center and Pacific Place. IM  
Pei's sharp angled Bank of China is in the upper right with a window  
washer
making his way along the edge of the building - distant upper right.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Hong+Kong+Pix/GovResM8El24W.jpg.html
http://tinyurl.com/c2ah6o

Center bottom is the Governor's (now Chief Executive's) Mansion. The  
Japanese added the tower during their occupation of Hong Kong 1942 - 45
thinking perhaps the original building wasn't stately enough. After  
the 1997 handover the first Chief Executive, Tung Chi Hwa, refused to  
live in the residence
because of bad feng shui (the sharp angles of the Bank of China tower  
cut into the residence). The second CE ("Sir" Donald Tsang) lives there
and has installed a big goldfish pound. Perhaps his 35 years in the  
Hong Kong colonial service overcame his feng shui concerns.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Hong+Kong+Pix/Midlevels5panM8El24W.jpg.html
http://tinyurl.com/d2tchu

Here is the view from the Bank looking south toward the mid levels  
(where I used to love when the company paid the rent)
and the Peak.  There are lots of places for rent there now as this  
used to be expatriate banker territory.

C&C always welcome

Cheers
Howard