Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2016/02/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Luggers, While in Hong Kong we were hosted by our son?s investment banker friends to drinks and dinner at the China Club, owned by Sir David Tang, and housed in the 13 - 15th floors of the old Bank of China building. There is a terrace on the 15th floor and we sat out for drinks and I made the following three vertical panos of the views to the north, south and east from the Bank of China. First some information on the China Club: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Club And here are the panos: <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Hong+Kong+2016/Lippo3panW.jpg.html> This one is looking East from the 15 floor balcony of the China Club located in the old Bank of China building. The new Bank of China building, designed by Chinese American I.M. Pei, is to the right of the picture and the Lippo Centre - left centre of the picture used to be called the Bond Centre after the Australian entrepreneur who built it. Alan Bond went to jail for financial skulduggery which resulted in his bankruptcy. Released from prison he died after open heart surgery. <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Hong+Kong+2016/3PanVertIFCW.jpg.html> This is the view to the North - with the IFC (International Finance Centre) on the left side and across Hong Kong Harbour the ICC (International Commerce Centre) in Kowloon. Both buildings were built by Sun Hung Kai Property - owned by the Kwok family. The two Kwok brothers have been quarrelling over the control of the company since their father died in 1990 and they are ruled by their matriarch mother. The youngest son, Thomas, is serving 5 years in jail for bribery to the former Hong Kong Chief Secretary - who is also in jail for accepting the bribe. <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Hong+Kong+2016/3PanMidlevelW.jpg.html> And this is the view to the south - looking up toward the Mid levels - where we used to live. In the far left corner is the cupola of the Court of Final Appeal - which started out as the French Mission Building in the early 1900?s and in the lower centre of the picture is St. John?s Cathedral - which has the distinction of sitting on the only freehold land in all of Hong Kong. All other land is long term leasehold - following old UK practice. The panos were taken with the Fuji XT1 and the 35mm f1.4 lens, hand held and assembled in CS6. Please view large - C&C always welcome. Howard