Since ancient times, China has paid considerable attention to architectural feng shui. Although many people in modern society scoff at feng shui, many others firmly believe in it. In Hong Kong, the most Westernized city in China, people's superstition about feng shui even exceeds that of mainland China. The Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, designed by master architect I.M. Pei, has been criticized a great deal because of feng shui issues.
　　Although I.M. Pei is a Chinese American and studied architecture in the United States, he still pays considerable attention to feng shui in traditional Chinese culture. However, in I.M. Pei's view, architectural feng shui is about how to arrange buildings, not, as people believe, about influencing destiny. Therefore, I.M. Pei has never been superstitious about the role of feng shui. Traditional Chinese architectural art left an extremely deep impression on I.M. Pei's mind.
　　Someone once asked: “Mr. Pei, do you believe in feng shui?” “Architects all believe in feng shui. Not superstitious feng shui. There are several kinds of feng shui. For example, when we build, we need to arrange buildings and have a mountain at the back and water nearby; this is also feng shui. I think we should believe in feng shui, but if feng shui is taken too far, it becomes superstition, and I oppose that.” He frankly stated his personal view.
　　In the interview record “I.M. Pei on Architectural Feng Shui,” he was once asked———?
　　Question: “But people say that you also absorbed some sayings of architectural feng shui masters. For example, when you first designed the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, you once designed a spring that went in through the back door and came out through the front door. Later, people said that water means wealth, and that by doing so you would lose wealth. Did you cancel this idea?”?
　　Pei: “There was such a thing. The architectural feng shui master was also quite right. I used water. Water comes down on both sides of this tall building. I accept this point. This water is a source, a source of wealth, so when the water reaches the bottom it becomes a pool. Fish are raised in the pool. Chinese people believe that this stores up wealth. Where I believe in something, I do it.”?
　　Buildings often represent power, especially the main buildings of cities, so in this case they are by no means merely art, but even more a matter of politics.
　　I.M. Pei has left us with incomparable architectural marvels. His success lies not only in his architectural talent, but also in his outstanding social skills and abilities and his understanding of traditional Chinese culture.
　　He recognized very early that architecture is a product of power. I.M. Pei is perhaps the most sensitive to power among all architects. He believes that “architecture is not like poetry or painting... it must pursue power.” His clients were mainly power groups such as wealthy merchants, presidents and dignitaries, and mainstream institutions. In his hands, modernist architecture became a spatial method for consolidating ruling power. This is exactly the same as the traditional Yijing approach of regarding a mansion as Qian metal (in Qimen it is Wu + Geng).