Overview
Chinese Architecture is renowned for being highly avant-garde and unorthodox, but some designs can only be described as outright peculiar. From fish shapes, to huge bottle of alcohol, giant rings and God-sculpture-buildings, Chinese structures cover a lot of bases on the quirky scale.
These odd designs attract a large amount of tourism to the various regions of China and are also an important aspect of the Chinese history and culture, while simultaneously demonstrating their radical modern shift in architectural design.
Ranging from company headquarters to hotels, or watchtowers, here are ten of the quirkiest and most outrageous building designs throughout China.
Fushun Shen Fu New Town 'Circle of Life'
This 50 floor panoramic structure fitted out with 12,000 LED lights and with a diameter of 157m took a massive 3000 tons of steel and a casual billion dollars to make. Despite remarks that the dome is a ridiculous and unnecessary, the local government maintains that it is a unique and distinctive architectural design.
Center of Bashu Culture Art
Found in Chongqing at the Guotai Art Center, this quirky structure with needle-like protrusions is set to be finished later this year.
Yichuan Northern Gate
Another expensive and obscure construction, the Northern Gate currently under construction will provide a gate to the city of Yichuan in the Henan province. Although it has been likened to a belt, a trap and a bow, the gate is hoped to be a welcoming door to guests from afar with beautiful curves and rich ties to the region's history, spirituality and culture as well as being representative of Yichuan's economic development.
Beijing Olympic Watchtower
Consisting of five 'pins' of varying heights, this unorthodox tower is located in China's capital and is still yet to complete construction. With the highest point reaching 244.35 metres, this foreboding structure is not your average Olympic watchtower.
Fangyen Mansion
This building appears in the Shenyang Finance and Trade Development Zone, and attempts to resemble a coin, for fairly obvious reasons. Unfortunately the design didn't go down too well with the CNN, who in January of this year placed in the top ten ugliest buildings in the world because it apparently tries to unsuccessfully merge Western and Eastern style.
Cuiping Wuliangye, Yibin city
Believe it or not, this giant bottle is a Chinese liquor-producing company's factory located in Sichuan Province.
Hotel of the Emperor
At 41.6 metres high this hotel in Hebei, Yinjiao features in the World Guinness Book of Records as the 'largest pictographic building', aka the largest structure in the world which is both a building and a sculpture. The hotel showcases three Ancient Chinese Gods Fu, Lu, and Shou, who are known as the three wise men, symbolizing happiness, prosperity, and longevity.
Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort
This unique, idiosyncratic building will open its 321 rooms on the first day of the new year in 2013. Located on the edge of the stunning Lake Taihu in Zhejiang, this upmarket hotel will provide a relaxing yet unconventional stay for those bedding within its walls.
Linda Hai Square
The design of the Linda Hai Square on Dongsi Ring mirroring the shape of a fish was not all that well received by the Chinese people. Perhaps this one slightly overstepped the border from eccentric to just plain weird.
Phoenix Island Real Estate
Situated in the prime location of Sanya, Hainan Island, apartments on this corner of the world will set investors back almost $14,000 per square metre. You'd surely expect some spectacular waterfront views at a price like that.