More Weekend in Hong Kong

As we checked into our hotel they explained there was an art show taking place at the hotel that weekend and as a result the elevators would be taking longer than usual. Hmmm.

It turns out that it was the Hong Kong 2016 Asia Contemporary Art Show which included 2500 artworks filling all of the hotel rooms on 4 floors. Artists (or their reps) even displayed art in the bathrooms. They were provided (?), or brought with them (?), boards to cover the tubs and sinks providing additional display areas. Some artists chose to just stand the art up in the tub and on the vanity side areas.There were long queue lines at times in the various lobby levels of the hotel but occasionally a staffer would "open" another elevator for guests to get to their rooms without such a long wait.

We were given VIP tickets to the event and on Sunday afternoon we took a stroll through part of the show. I think we did 2 and 1/2 floors of it. Some interesting pieces, some truly odd pieces and some beyond my personal understanding. After doing part of the show we adjourned for afternoon tea.

Note: I was amazed at the numbers of guests at the show snapping photos of all of the art. This is not usual practice in the US.

We found more art in the mall. There was a free show "Fierce and Fragile: Big Cats in the Art of Robert Dallet." Gorgeous! I kept the brochure even though it is in Chinese because of the pictures included in it. This traveling exhibit is produced by Hermes and the conservation charity Panthera and launches the Robert Dallet Initiative for Wild Cat Conservation. Hermes's 2016 Charity Scarf sales will benefit the Initiative. The artist died in 2006.

We traveled by the classic metro, MTR, in Hong Kong a few times as well. Here are a few shots from the various metro stations and trains. They were clean and being used by all sorts of folks.

 And Mrs. Fields in the MTR!

I mentioned an aviary in the HK Park. It is the Edward Youde Aviary. Approximately 3000 sq meters (32,300 square feet). This the large staircase we climbed up to reach the aviary entrance. The base is all the way down at the point of white at the bottom.

There aren't any supporting poles in the aviary. Instead there are 4 giant arches supporting the stainless steel mesh which covers the valley.

Birds present? Lots and lots of birds including my favorite, the Bali mynah. This Bali mynah came over to visit with me while I was standing there. I snapped a lot of pictures while he was checking me out. You can see the elevated boardwalk for guests visiting the aviary.

 We are pretty sure this is a Chinese hwamei.

This is Ficus variegata. This tree uses cauliflory. Cauliflory is the production of flowers (and later fruits) on the tree trunks instead of on branches. This may aid in pollination as the flowers on the trunks may be more visible to birds and bats. This is common in the tropics.

Lastly, here's a photo of Hong Kong Dollars and a few coins. Net worth: about $100 US. Some of the bills are plastic and have clear windows in them. Others are still paper.