There are pragmatic reasons for this, stemming from building regulations – and others that are more closely tied to Far Eastern myths.
Hong Kong fire safety laws stipulate that buildings with 40 or more floors must have an escape floor.
(Cap. 572 Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance and the Code of Practice for Fire Resisting Construction 1996)
A further escape floor must then be provided every 25 floors.
Such an escape floor is an open, empty level – only the load-bearing and service structures, such as elevator shafts, stairwells, and building services, pass through it.
And, of course, these floors are equipped with a sprinkler system.
Diagram of an escape floor. (Springer Link)
These are the horizontal gaps that can be seen in many high-rise buildings.
These escape floors serve as assembly points and refuges for people in the event of disasters and fires.
Furthermore, these floors function as "vertical fire barriers"—that is, they are designed to prevent or at least slow the spread of fire vertically.
There is no "fire load" there—no combustible material that would allow fire to spread.
However, some high-rise buildings in Hong Kong also have vertical cutouts or openings.
These are not escape missiles.
Some are part of the architects' design – they are purely aesthetic and serve no other purpose.
Others, however – and this is particularly true for quite wide buildings – are intended to prevent the so-called screen barrier effect .
That is, they are meant to ensure that the lighting and, above all, the ventilation of urban areas are not excessively obstructed.
In a metropolis like Hong Kong, the freest possible airflow is particularly important during problematic weather conditions in order to dissipate exhaust fumes and smog (similar considerations can be found in Hamburg and other cities, although in Germany this is more often solved through the arrangement and shape of the buildings – albeit unfortunately far too little).
Furthermore, the "openings" in the wide skyscrapers are intended to reduce wind forces during a typhoon.
But there are other reasons for the holes in some skyscrapers, most of which belong more to the realm of myth – even though they are repeatedly mentioned in travel guides and some architecture books:
The first reason is Qi .
In Asia, it is said that energy should flow naturally.
One should not obstruct it, but rather shape one's environment in such a way that Qi can move freely.
The Chinese penal code even provides for compensation for harming the Qi of other people.
And then – of course: Feng Shui.
It's said that some of the skyscrapers were designed with "holes" so that the dragons' flight wouldn't be obstructed – hence the name "Dragon Gates."
In Hong Kong, it's said that dragons must be able to fly from the mountains to the sea every day.
It's believed that blocking a dragon's path brings bad luck – dragons are a symbol of good fortune in the Far East.
Buildings with poor feng shui are often considered the cause of bankruptcies, whether the businesses located within them or those in the neighborhood.
Therefore, many Chinese companies employ their own feng shui consultant to prevent misfortune caused by construction methods deemed unfavorable from a feng shui perspective.
Incidentally, the most hated building in Hong Kong is the Bank of China skyscraper.
This 72-story high-rise has a facade divided into triangles – according to the principles of Feng Shui, these triangles act like daggers stabbing at the neighborhood and surrounding area.
On the American Quora platform, there are several articles by Chinese Quorians living in Hong Kong who write that the Feng Shui rules play no role at all and belong to the realm of fables.