Chinese officials can not stand the ‘monstrous, deformed’ architecture.

In a recently released statement, China’s National Development and Reform Commission said local governments should focus on building functional, cost-effective, and friendly designs. environment and aesthetics.

Chinese officials can not stand the “monstrous, deformed” architecture.

This announcement caused widespread online discussion of some of China’s most notorious cities with works described as “monstrous”, “deformed”.

“The construction of super-tall buildings over 500 meters high should be strictly restricted and the construction of ‘ugly’ buildings is strictly forbidden,” the announcement dated April 8 said.

With the rapid rate of urbanization in China, skyscrapers, landmarks and tourist attractions have sprung up across the country over the past three decades. Although the announcement did not give a clear definition of what constitutes an “ugly” building, the “no ugly building” hashtag went viral on the Weibo microblogging platform, attracting more than 170 million visitors. view as of Thursday afternoon.

On Chinese social networks, users have shared photos of the bewildering architecture at home. In the comment section under a post on related media, thousands of Weibo users criticized China’s ugliest buildings, many of whom nominated the Tam Ha Thien Tu Hotel in northern Henan province. North. The 10-storey hotel, famously designed with the image of three giant Chinese gods standing side by side, is said to hold the Guinness World Record as the largest “iconic building”.

Another blacklisted structure is the Flying Kiss, a major sightseeing destination in southwestern China. Tourists can pay to go up the “crow’s nest” arranged high above, in the hands of a pair of giant rotating statues placed on a cliff, when two “crow’s nests” meet at the nearest point, du Guests on two crows nests can “kiss”.

Flying kiss in Chongqing.

A teapot-shaped structure in the mountains near Tuan Nghia, Guizhou Province

Tam Ha Thien Tu Hotel in Lang Phuong, Hebei Province

Crab Culture Museum in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province.

Wine cultural landscape in Ha Tri, Choang ethnic autonomous region of Guangxi.

Guangzhou To Na Opera House in Guangdong Province.

One Weibo user wrote: “I realized that aesthetic evaluation is too subjective to have a clear definition of ugly buildings, but these structures are too ridiculous. We don’t even need a benchmark for people to see what’s too ugly. ”

Since 2010, China’s architectural website Archcy.com has held a contest “Top 10 Ugly Ugly Buildings”, with a poll and second round evaluation conducted by experts. The “winning structures” include crab-shaped public venues, teapots and bottles of wine, as well as the Thien Tu Hotel and the Flying Kiss.

“Architecture is an abstract art, but some buildings use this enormous size to simulate animals and people, which is discouraged because of the professionalism and aesthetics,” Dong Di, says associate professor of architecture at Dong Jin University in Shanghai.

The rationale behind such designs, he says, can be complex. Sometimes, developers are looking for what’s most eye-catching; in other cases, they simply have poor taste.

“Architectural designs are usually formed by a very large group,” said Dong. “The final shape can change depending on who drives the project – the designer, the owner of the property, or the government.”

Many cities in China have had their own nicknames for the extreme looks of some quirky buildings. Shanghai’s tallest buildings such as the Shanghai World Financial Center, the Shanghai Tower and the Jin Mao Tower – are collectively known as the “three-course kitchen set” because they resemble an egg beater, one open the bottle cap and a syringe.

The headquarters of China Central Television Station in Beijing (CCTV) is nicknamed da kucha, or “big underwear” because of its angular arch.