Picture of the Day: Bank of China

The giant peach blossom tree in the Bank of China lobby

Many shopping malls, offices and apartment buildings have peach blossom trees in vases. It's kind of like a pink Christmas tree, decorated with lai see envelopes hanging from the branches. Peach blossoms are also meant to signify romance and longevity.

These trees are so hard to photograph up close. The one in the Bank of China headquarters in Central is very impressive and I took a picture of it as I was going up the escalator. Only then can you see the size but also the dramatic space that it's situated in.

The sad thing about these trees is that after the new year holidays, they are unceremoniously dumped, and there's no tree chipping service like they have after Christmas in North America.

How about making some kind of compost out of these trees or keeping them alive throughout the year so that they can be used the following year?

Hong Kong needs to be more responsible when it comes to dealing with living things, and of course being more sustainable in general.

But in the meantime we're enjoying this peach blossom tree while it's on display....