<figure id="attachment_330600" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-330600" style="width: 1923px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="fafe7363"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/09/4f579ef31b4987f1d6b1398a1fd2f88d.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330600" class="wp-caption-text">The golden statue of Mao Zedong in Kaifeng, Henan Province, central China.&#8221; Construction began at the end of 2003, but the work was halted when an order was issued to remove the statue due to inadequate administrative procedures.</figcaption></figure>
<p> A golden Mao Zedong rising suddenly out of the wilderness, a big baby lying in the desert, the hero of the Three Kingdoms intimidating his surroundings&#8211;these are just a few examples.</p>
<p> These &#8220;unique megastructures&#8221; are springing up all over China. Foreigners visiting China for the first time will be astonished by the abruptness of these structures.</p>
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<p><strong> The motifs are not necessarily people or events related to China. In a shopping center in Dalian, Liaoning Province in the northeast of China, there is an 8-meter-tall statue of the American actress Marilyn Monroe. As in the image of the movie &#8220;The Seven-Year Affair,&#8221; in which she starred, the statue is constructed in such a way that her skirt can be turned up and her underwear can be seen. It is a Western-style commercial facility, so they may have been trying to create an atmosphere. &#8230;&#8230;&#8221; (reporter stationed in China for a national newspaper)</strong></p>
<p> Why are there so many huge buildings in China that at first glance seem so outlandish? Chinese journalist Zhou Laiyu explains the country&#8217;s unique circumstances.</p>
<p><strong> The Chinese people have always had a tendency to like things and stories that are large in scale, even as far back as the Great Wall of China,&#8221; says Zhou Laiyu, a Chinese journalist. That is probably the reason why many Chinese people challenge Guinness World Records. In local towns that don&#8217;t have any special tourist attractions, they are trying to make strange and mysterious objects to attract people&#8217;s attention and make them the centerpiece of their &#8216;town revitalization&#8217; efforts. It is a means of investment and money-making.</strong></p>
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<p> However, the recession, including the filing for bankruptcy in the United States by real estate giant China Hengda Group, and the authorities&#8217; tightening of restrictions on excessive construction work have cast a dark shadow over these eccentric buildings. Plans are being abandoned and demolished in an increasing number of locations. China&#8217;s famous &#8220;giant buildings&#8221; reflect the current state of the great nation in disarray.</p>
<figure id="attachment_330607" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-330607" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="841c70f4"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/09/3b1271dcac809a9aa235685cd02b4903.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330607" class="wp-caption-text"> A baby lying in the Gobi Desert in northwestern Gansu Province, photographed in August of this year. It has become a tourist attraction in the province, which has few places of interest.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_330601" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-330601" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="924d5a19"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/09/ad70f1dfdf9b5e8089bfe0fb22593022.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330601" class="wp-caption-text"> Trump Chicken&#8221; in Shanxi Province: A chicken in the shape of former U.S. President Trump stands in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, central China. It is popular among women as it is Instagram-worthy!</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_330606" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-330606" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b0bb0664"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/09/84b8170821b4939df4df12e0d514cefc.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330606" class="wp-caption-text"> The statue of the hero of the Three Kingdoms, Guan Yu Yun Chang, is located in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province, in the central part of China. The statue is 57 meters high, and the blue dragon sword in the statue&#8217;s hand is 70 meters long.</figcaption></figure>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" The work of a famous artist is also on display...?"></div>
<figure id="attachment_330605" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-330605" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b089555b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/09/e00a829f3074b114f3fc4bccbd781aa7.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330605" class="wp-caption-text">Buddha image towering above the sea in Sanya, Hainan Province, South China. It is relatively new, about 15 years old, but it is a famous pilgrimage site.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_330599" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-330599" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="9b624fd6"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/09/e767899e986c000c7ebcd95b2b6d2359.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330599" class="wp-caption-text"> Naked Man Climbing Up] A statue of a naked man climbing up a commercial building in Jinan City, Shandong Province in the east. It is said to be the work of an acclaimed artist. &#8230;&#8230;</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_330603" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-330603" style="width: 1872px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="cae98d55"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/09/d7a70ecbe0e893367d555ce722b01e67.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330603" class="wp-caption-text"> Marilyn Monroe&#8221; in Liaoning Province] An 8-meter-tall statue of Marilyn Monroe in a commercial building in Dalian, Liaoning Province in the northeast. A replica of the real statue in Chicago, U.S.A.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_330602" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-330602" style="width: 1899px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="713def96"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/09/ac3be6b42a30a41f5bb27803e4a76241.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330602" class="wp-caption-text"> The sculpture of Chinese cabbage is located in Yanji City, Jilin Province, in the northeast of China. Kimchi is very popular due to its proximity to the Korean Peninsula.</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_330604" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-330604" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="bfc56f3c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/09/f4439bc63ed27ae49395104334985972.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330604" class="wp-caption-text"> A 10-meter-high bottle of alcohol is soaring above two rooftops in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, in the central part of China. They have become a symbol of the city.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_330598" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-330598" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="63da9d5c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/09/ef6daf615109148306731a58911efe56.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330598" class="wp-caption-text"> The &#8220;Three Lucky Gods Hotel&#8221; in Hebei Province: A hotel in Langfang City, Hebei Province in the northeast of China. The motif of the hotel is the Three Lucky Gods, symbolizing &#8220;longevity&#8221; and &#8220;good fortune. The peach held by the god on the far left is a suite room.</figcaption></figure>
<p> From the September 15 and 22, 2023 issues of FRIDAY</p>


 Reuters/Afro CNImaging/Afro ZUMA Press/Afro Shutterstock/Afro

 China is a country where "too many unique gigantic architectures" are springing up all over the country. Foreigners who visit China for the first time will be astonished by their abruptness. Why are there so many giant buildings in China that seem so out of the ordinary at first glance?...there are special circumstances. ......

Golden Mao Zedong, Marilyn Monroe, even fresh food… The special situation of “too unique giant architecture” in China

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