Hong Kong is known for having mysterious holes in many of its tall buildings. The Repulse Bay Hotel (pictured above) is one example. Completed in 1986, its hole is 16m wide by 24m tall.

The reasoning for these holes is apparently twofold.

They started because of feng shui and more specifically because of "spirit dragons." Some believe that spirit dragons live in the mountains surrounding Hong Kong and that they like to descend each day in order to bathe in the water. Legend therefore has it that if you obstruct their path of travel, bad things could happen to you. These holes are where they fly.

The other reason for these tower holes is far less superstitious and entirely practical. Hong Kong has a kind of built form known as "wall-effect buildings." These are large buildings with large floor plates that create a kind of wall in the landscape. So to break up the massing and allow more natural light and air to flow through, holes are introduced.

So maybe it's because of spirit dragons or maybe it's to encourage more light and air. Either way, these tower holes have become part of the Hong Kong landscape.

Image: Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels

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