Hong Kong: Carp, carpe, koi, 鯉

I was thinking about Hong Kong's chief executive, Bow-Tie Tsang (煲呔曾), the other day. Well, not so much about him nor his bow ties, but about his request for a fish pond to be created in the grounds of Government House. More especially, about the fish Sir Donald Tsang KBE, Hong Kong Ltd's CEO, wants to put in his pond: carp.
A fine fish.
According to my copy of Wolfram Eberhard's A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols:

the Chinese words for 'carp' and 'advantage' are phonetically identical: so the carp symbolises a wish for benefit or advantage in business. It is also said that on its journey upstream the carp can jump the rapids in the upper course of the Yellow River (at the Dragon Gate). This feat is compared to success in the state examinations, and is frequently shown in pictures: the carp, surrounded by smaller fish (those who don't pass!), is in the act of making its powerful leap. As this is no easy feat and requires long preparation, the carp is also a symbol of patience and steadfastness.

Bow-tie Tsang, who admits to a passion for carp caring and keeping, will already know carp (Cyprinus carpio) are gregarious creatures: there need to be at least five for them to thrive. Less than five, they get depressed and die. Fish, in case you didn't know, have feelings too.
More about carp? Carp (koi).
Our CEO, however, may not know about the person who had a carp tattoo done, completely covering his entire back. Sadly, Keith Alexander died on 11 July 2005, the result of a road traffic accident while riding his bike. Still, the website and photos of the making of the carp tattoo remain. He documented the whole process and it's online.