To begin, this incredible hotel seems to have a few different names depending on what you read, as far as I can tell it has been known as: Tianzi Hotel, The Emperor Hotel, Son Of Heaven Hotel, and, in Chinese, 天子大酒.
The hotel is located in Hebei Province and according to Chinese architecture blog CAIP it was built some time around 2000/2001, The building is 10 storeys/41.6m high and was designed to represent Fu Lu Shou (good fortune, prosperity and longevity). The blog also points out that the hotel won a Guiness World Record for being the world's 'biggest image building'. Largest mimetic building perhaps?
Image Credit: Panoramio User bbqi
Finally, you'll notice that Shou, the chap on the left as you face the hotel, is holding what is apparently a peach. That peach is actually a suite within the hotel, the two holes in its front being windows.
And I thought the Japs were wacky. :rolleyes:
linkIf the ALSRC-04 design had been a little imaginative like this, perhaps they would not have lost it for so long.
Is there a room in the head? I mean, of course, one of the heads on top the necks.
Knowing how the Chinese industrial process is sometimes, is the whole thing made out of papier-mâché?!
No, probably only the faces and hands are paper mache, you can see they cleverly made most of the other areas flat so they could use big strips of plywood glue-gunned together I bet. I'm sure the couple layers of shelac should keep the water out anyway through right? :p
Look like giant nesting dolls to me.
All together now:
"We three kings of Orient are
Made into a hotel (4 star)..."
That first king, what's he holding? That looks like a lemon boobie with a smiley face.
It looks like that giant Pikachu blow up.
Where's the Hotello Kitty?
Surrreee, that's a peach. It's the ugliest darn peach I ever saw.
eta: sorry, I never read your posts, bruce.
OMG...I have to stay in that peach room. I'm adding that to my list.
You all have it wrong. The guy on the left is about to unleash Pacman on the world, the guy on the right is doing the same with his rubber ducky, and the guy in the middle is holding a giant razor, which he used to cut off that pink thing, which is his... er...OMG!