Differences between Hong Kong’s buffalo sculptures and New York’s Charging Bull sculpture

Recently Italian Sculptor Mr. Arturo Di Modica, who made the famous Charging Bull sculpture in New York, has passed away.

As another international financial center, Hong Kong also has a pair of buffalo sculpture at the Exchange Square.

 

Frank the tour guide is going to show the differences between Hong Kong’s Buffalo sculptures and New York’s Charging Bull sculpture.

Compare Hong Kong’s buffalo sculptures and New York’s Charging Bull sculpture
Different origin
Different design
Different neighbor
Tourist attraction or hidden gem

It is easy to go to say hello to the two buffalo sculptures (Take MTR to go to Hong Kong Station Exit A, Walk for about 1 minute).

If travelers want to see the real, cute and happy wild cattle in Hong Kong, travelers can book Frank the tour guide’s Lantau Island private tour.

 

Clients can also say hello to Big Buddha, take the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car and enjoy the nice natural landscape.

Different origin

At first, New York’s Charging Bull sculpture was illegal.

Charging Bull sculpture 

Modica installed the statue in Manhattan without getting permission in 1989.

New York Police even took away the sculpture.

Just after the public outcry, New York City Government allowed the reinstallation of the bull in the World’s financial center.

The developer, Hong Kong Land, found English sculptor Dame Elisabeth Jean Frink to make two buffalo sculptures for the Exchange Square in 1986.

The lying buffalo was finished in 1987.

 

The standing buffalo was finished in 1988.

So the legal buffalo sculptures in Hong Kong are even older than the Charging Bull in New York.

Different design

New York’s bull sculpture has a smooth body.

Modica did spent a lot of time and efforts to polish it.

 

According to Modica, the Charging Bull actually represents US people’s strength and power.

It looks energetic and aggressive.

It is ready to “charge” to earn more in the bull market after the 1987 stock market crash.

The bronze buffalo sculptures in Hong Kong have a very coarse surface.

 

After oxidation, they were once covered with the patina.

So they looked like the buffalos, which were covered all over with mud, in the traditional Chinese villages.

The tame buffalos just take a rest quietly after a day of farming work.

Frank thinks the sculptor just wanted to persuade people to work diligently, invest steadily and wait for the harvest patiently.

It is no need to take the risk to speculate like a charging bull.

Different neighbor

At first the Charging Bull had no neighbor.

In 2017, the Fearless Girl began to stand in front of the bull.

 

It was actually an advertisement for an index fund, which includes companies with more women in the leadership.

Later it became a symbol of feminist movement.

Now the “war” between the two neighbors seems imminent.

 

The buffalo sculptures in Hong Kong have two neighbors, Tai Chi sculptures, which were made by a Taiwan Province sculptor.

Tai Chi is a slow but effective martial arts.

 

People should work hard like the buffalos to accumulate the first pot of gold.

Then people should follow the Tai Chi players to invest step by step and focus on the long term result.

Frank the tour guide thinks that the buffalo sculptures and Tai Chi sculptures are representing a slow but healthy bull market, which is different from and better than the fanatic bull market.

Tourist attraction and hidden gem

New York’s Charging Bull is the internationally famous tourist attraction.

A lot of tourists rub the bull sculpture, especially the bull’s testicles, to try to get the luck in the stock market.

 

After 2017, a lot of people want to take the photos for the impending battle between the angry bull and Fearless Girl.

Although the buffalo sculptures in Hong Kong are next to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, which is the global initial public offerings (IPO) market leader for many times and the gateway between China and international markets, the buffalos are very low key and are the hidden gems only.

They just stand and lie motionless on the running water.

People can take photos for them but cannot touch them.

As their neighboring Tai Chi sculptures are just practicing the slow Kung Fu, not the fast and powerful Jeet Kune Do of Bruce Lee, they are a lot less famous and popular than the Bruce Lee Statue on the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui.

 

See the real, cute and happy cattle in Frank’s Lantau Big Buddha private tour

It is easy for the travelers to go to see the Buffalo sculptures.

It is close to the Hong Kong MTR Station A and IFC Mall.

Travelers can take photos for and selfies with the two tame buffalos.

Travelers can also book Frank the tour guide’s Lantau Island private tour to see the real, cute and happy cattle.

 

Clients can of course visit the Big Buddha, take the Ngong Ping Cable Car ride and enjoy the natural landscape during the private car tour.

 

Frank hopes he can serve you on the beautiful Lantau Island soon.