Taida Commercial Hotel

Some good things with tiles

by mke1963

Many visitors to China quickly get exasperated with the use of tiles on every single built surface, with much of China looking like the inside of a public toilet. Except for the public toilets which are bare concrete.

But the use of tiles everywhere does sometimes bring some good municipal artwork, with local themes and icons depicted in huge mosaic murals. In Gansu, the apsara legends, from the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang and Matisi, are frequently the subject of these murals which can be seen in many places, including Dunhuang, at Liuyuan station (the current Dunhuang railway station) and in Lanzhou.

One of my favourites is the mural on the building right next to the Lanzhou Feitian Hotel, adorning the side of a building full of karaoke bars and restaurants. Even despite the profusion of neon lights, the mural remains poised and elegant.