Guangzhou Circle viewed from the opposite side of the river by Midip is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Guangzhou Circle by llee_wu is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
The Guangzhou Circle located in Guangzhou, China may appear to be a strange doughnut-shaped skyscraper to westerners, but to those from the east, it has symbology and meaning.
Architect, Joseph di Pasquale drew inspiration from bi-disks or bi, ancient Chinese artifacts. Bi-disks are carved from jade and bear the same shape as the Guangzhou Circle. Their significance is still mysterious as is how they were made. One thing that has scientists scratching their heads is how did people thousands of years ago manage to carve jade, a very hard rock, to such a fine degree?
The Circle forms a number 8 with its reflection in the Pearl river. The number 8 is considered lucky in the Chinese culture. The Beijing Summer Olympics began at 8:08:08 pm on August 8, 2008! (Right down to the second!)
In 2014 CNN listed the Guangzhou Circle as one of the most interesting buildings worldwide. Remarkable too is the Circle’s empty center, nearly 157 feet in diameter.
No matter which lens you view it through, the Guangzhou Circle is a striking building, sure to delight visitors and residents alike.
