Beautiful ... or ugly? In China, it's in the eye of the beholder

A teapot building in Meitan, Guizhou province. Meitan is famous for its tea production. Hu Yan / China Daily

While not necessarily heavenly, Chongqing's Guotai Art Center is often seen as otherworldly. Its unofficial moniker is "the UFO". Some say the structure's shape is a space case. Bank employee Cheng Di sees the building every day during his commute.

"It'd be weird if it were a dorm or office building," the 29-year-old says. "But it's an art center. It's meant to be avant-garde."

Cheng appreciates its signature red roof. "The color reminds me of Chongqing people's passion and the red peppers we like. It's shaped like a huge ship," Cheng says. (Some say a spaceship.)

"Chongqing is built along the Yangtze. It's a river city. We have a lot of ship-shaped landmarks. I don't think even people who criticize strange buildings want to live in cities that look alike. City governments should claim creative spaces. Time will tell."

Local legal adviser Zhang Ying points out Chongqing hosts many "different" buildings. "Some are beautiful and creative. Some are just ugly," the 36-year-old says.

"Several office buildings are golden. They don't fit their surroundings and are tacky. They stand out like nightclubs in a business district. Very inappropriate."

Zhang likens buildings to cities' business cards. "People know New York City by the Brooklyn Bridge or the Empire State Building. You don't want your city's landmark to be of bad taste".

Local photographer Chen Jin says many of Chongqing's bizarre buildings are on Yanrenjie, or Foreigner Street, which the 32-year-old says locals liken to a "theme park".

The thoroughfare features deviations ranging from a polychromatic tree house to an upside-down house. Wang Zheng believes Shenyang's giant coin is emblematic of its time and space.

"When it was completed more than a decade ago－despite its glaring nature－it was viewed as the city's future, proudly presiding over the bustling financial district. It captures the era's optimistic outlook."

But its meaning has changed. And therein lies the issue, the 34-year-old believes. "It was considered crude to openly talk about wealth when it was built," he says.

"But everyone is money-driven now. Isn't that hypocrisy?"