China: Phallic People’s Daily building causes stir

The new headquarters for Chinese newspaper People’s Daily has caused a stir, with people on Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo commenting on its phallic appearance.

The People's Daily building. Picture: Weibo

The building is still under construction and is being erected in Beijing. At the moment it is completely sheathed in a protective scaffold.

The Chinese government has censored online comments by banning the search words “People’s Daily” and “building” on the website.

Sina Weibo or just Weibo for short is a Chinese social media site akin to a hybrid of Twitter and Facebook, the Chinese site is reportedly used by over 30 per cent of internet users.

The People’s Daily newspaper is the official mouthpiece of China’s ruling party, whose tight censorship machine controls print and online media in the country.

The People’s Daily is not the only Chinese news outlet to be ridiculed for its oddly shaped building. China Central Television (CCTV) headquarters, was nicknamed due to its resemblance to an under garment, it has been dubbed “Big Underpants” building.