27 July 2008

36 Hong Kong: the super surface

Last month, I had a chance to be in Hong Kong for a few days with my family - purely fat (a lot of superb Chinese foods) & fun (a lot of shoppings), well nowhere else can offer you the two as much as Hong Kong does? :-O

Although this is not my first time in Hong Kong, I just noticed some cute aspects of the city. The cutest one to me is the all-over-cover-with-tiles surface. Starting from my first glance at a subway station here. Look at the super surface cover with red mosaic. A deep bow. :-)





My next stop is this small resturant in Kowloon (the other island of Hong Kong), called Mido Cafe' on Temple Street. It has been running since the 60s, and more or less the interior is still the same since then. Somehow it has this little flavor of being in the moive 2046 - of course not the furturism part of the train with Kimura Takuya. The surface of the walls is covered with several kinds of tiles.. various shapes, forms and colors... very cute indeed. The corner detail with vertical light blue tiles is very nice. Really love it. Not to mention that the food is cheap and good!



My interest in the super tile surface was brought to the peak when arrived to Repluse Bay. It is actually an up scale residential with small beaches, very nice scenery. This particular beach has a lifeguard clubhouse built in traditional Chinese style decorating in very Barouque manner. There are two gigantic statues of Kwun Yum and Tin Hau, the protectors of fishermen. Also there is this picturesque garden with many statues of Chinese symbols - I have really no idea what they are and mean.

Every surface I could lay my eyes on is covered with small mosaic tiles... regardless of shape, form and color of the surface. Very impressive.


Even the very figurative statues, they are all covered with the tiles...


Not to mention the dragon...



Super modern Chinese to me... the surface is durable, no-fading colors, easy to clean.. what a practical mind........ VIVA CINA!

By the way, I have to thank Green a cute landscape architect, our Sora's good friend, who was a magnificant guide in Hong Kong - Thanks a lot ja.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The tile works remind me of Antonio Guadi's work, esp those on sculpture.

urbanomania said...

The entire Hong Kong is indeed full of mosaic tiles.

I still remember HK's gangster movies I watched when I was young. There will always be a scene where a few vans abruptly stop in front of a coffee shop then a few hundred tough-looking guys running out with choppers in hand slashing just about everyone and everything in their way.

Of course there is blood..., everywhere... but not to worry because the whole coffee shop is cladded with mosaic tiles, very easy to clean! :)

Rachaporn Choochuey said...

hahahaha
i really love your comments chai!
thanks a lot.
this confirmed my impression/observation then.