A Lotus-Shaped Building to Host What?! Strange Monuments List
Ever since China’s reform to open the country to outside investment and visitors in 1978, the construction market has seen unprecedented prosperity, with millions of buildings springing up all over the country. But to catch our modern, short-lived attention, real estate developers compete for the biggest, tallest, most “foreign-flavored” or, in some cases, the strangest.
One such building in Guangzhou has recently made worldwide news without having even been built yet – Chinese property developer Evergrande Group’s “Lotus Football Stadium”.
Planned to seat up to 100,000 cheering fans with a striking design inspired by Guangzhou’s “Flower City” nickname, this stadium is set to become one of the largest arenas in the world upon completion.
While the photos shared so far are only renderings, it didn’t take long for many netizens to share their thoughts on the stadium’s peculiar design.
Yes, it’s a lotus. But while this design may not resonate with some people out west, it very much does – culturally – to others around here, which netizens were quick to point out.
Considering the strong cultural connection between the lotus and Buddhism, seen by practitioners as a sacred flower, social media users jokingly noted how the interior of this stadium and its overall design would instantly turn angry fans into happy souls, channeling their inner Buddha for the love of sports and humankind.
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If you think this lotus arena is the strangest-looking monument ever built in China, think again… We’ve scouted the internet and past travel photos to unearth some of the country’s weirdest architectural works.
In Chongqing’s Wulong district, two tall and unusual structures come together as one memorable sight known as “A Kiss from the Sky”. Ironic given the world’s ongoing social distancing regulations… Those two seem to be taking it quite seriously.
Other notable mentions on our list of strange buildings in China:
Kunshan City Crab Culture Center
昆山市巴城蟹文化馆
The "giant crab" was originally located in a cafe that had been vacant for many years due to poor management. In March 2017, the cafe underwent facade maintenance to make the shape of the crab.
In the future, it is expected to be a small "crab”-themed complex that integrates leisure, entertainment, and crab cultural experience, staff said.
Ummm, why do I want to eat crab after seeing these pictures all of a sudden?? I’m either really hungry, or this design looks very real… Or both?
ULO PARK
"Big octopus" is located in the Wangjing Subdistrict of Beijing, on Guangshun south street. Just like the above-mentioned crab, this one shows a very "surrealist" architectural style.
Full of thumbtacks.… It’s definitely not for everyone!
Yunnan Kaleidoscope Art Estate
云南万花筒艺术庄园
Yunnan sculptor Luo Xu spent more than 700 days building this fairy tale house in the valley of maitreya, a massive structure consisting of more than 20 large and small, upside down kaleidoscopic tubes.
This city is without a steel bar or a nail.
While a lot of people may think it's ugly, I think it’s actually quite artistic.
Puffer Tower in Yangzhong Garden, Jiangsu province
江苏扬中园博园河豚塔
The Fugu tower is an important symbol of the 8th Jiangsu provincial garden expo, located on Xisha Island of the Yangzhong garden.
Shanghai LV building
上海LV大厦
The Shanghai LV Tower, also known as Shanghai Hongqiao Shangjia Center, was designed by famous Japanese architect Aoki Chun. The facade is designed to give the building a streamlined shape from top to bottom to look, like an elegant lady in a white dress.
Hebei Baiyangdian Lotus Grand View Garden
Gold tortoise pavilion
河北白洋淀荷花大观园金鳌馆
With a floor area of 1,680 square meters, the world record society awarded this building the recognition of the “world's largest turtle building”.
Hebei Tianzi Hotel
河北天子大酒店
The hotel, in the shape of a traditional three-star painted sculpture known as ‘fu lv shou福禄寿’, has been named by the Guinness book of world records as the largest pictographic building.
Shuangyuhui,Niuzhou,Guangxi
柳州双渔汇
According to the designer, the project was positioned as an international boutique mall, and the building was designed to be a landmark with two giant carps leaping up.
Are you serious?
Have you ever looked at art – any art of any shape or form – and tilted your head thinking “What the hell is this?” until someone comes up to you and whispers, “That’s art.” Well… these buildings might just make you tilt your head a few times, except this time, you’re probably thinking, “Why on earth was this ever built in the first place?”
What do you think of these buildings? If you had to pick one to visit, where would you go? Let us know in the comment section below!
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