China: No more Sexually Suggestive Buildings or Stripper Names

PRC President Xi Jinping cracks down on weird (sexually suggestive) buildings while advising citizens to be careful of choosing English stripper names.

http://www.durabilityanddesign.com/news/?fuseaction=view&id=12187

China Targets ‘Weird’ Buildings

China’s president is not a fan of distinctive design and construction techniques.

“No more weird architecture,” said President Xi Jinping, reports The People’s Daily, one of the official state newspapers.

The country’s construction boom has led to a plethora of unusual architecture forms, often designed by Western firms. Some have attracted admirers; others, ridicule.

During a literary symposium, the president called for fewer odd-shaped buildings, according to the news report, as translated by deZeen.

Architecture Forms

The president's “weird” architectural targets include the China Central Television headquarters in Beijing, designed by OMA; the phallic-shaped headquarters of The People’s Daily; and two bridges in Chongqing, reports deZeen.

The CCTV headquarters has been nicknamed “big underpants,” while the newspaper headquarters and bridges have been compared to male and female genitals.

The president said artists and designers should not sacrifice their creative and moral values for commercial gain, according to deZeen.

According to Xi, good architecture and art "should be like sunshine from the blue sky and the breeze in spring that will inspire minds, warm hearts, cultivate taste and clean up undesirable work styles."

While the leader has not issued a ban on such high-profile building projects, he has spoken out against glamorous governmental buildings.

5-Year Ban on Building

In 2013, Xi issued a five-year construction ban on new government buildings, training centers and hotels.

“Glitzy new government buildings, sometimes in impoverished areas, have been a source of public outrage,” according to the BBC.

The directive includes the purchase, restoration or expansion of office compounds that are done under the guise of repair work or urban planning, according to the Xinhau News Agency.

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http://www.kfan.com/articles/weird-news-104673/chinas-advice-to-citizens-dont-pick-12888970/

China's Advice to Citizens: Don't Pick a Stripper Name

(NEWSER) – Thank you, BBC, for directing us to perhaps the most useful thing we've seen this week: a tutorial for Chinese people on a quest to pick an English-sounding name.

According to CCTV's appropriately labeled "Tips for Chinese choosing an English name," native English folks are "stuck with whatever happy or unhappy names they've been given," but Chinese citizens have the freedom to select practically any English alternative that they can wield when the situation warrants. Some suggestions from the CCTV guide if you must make such a choice:

You're generally good to go with respectable names that come "with implications of wealth," such as Elizabeth, William, or Catherine. But don't veer into old-timer respectable territory: Names that may have come from your grandparents' generation, including Gertrude or Percival, are a bad bet, unless "you enjoy being ironic."
Food names (Candy, Sugar, Cherry) are "non-smart girl" choices and also run the risk of sounding like "stripper names." Likewise, avoid names that have a blatant sexual connotation, such as Creamy, Dong, or anything suggestive that's going to supplement Wang.
If you're looking to "rebel from conformity," sure, go ahead and personify objects by choosing a name like Dragon, Fish, or Lawyer. However, "don't be surprised if you get many confused or amused looks from foreigners" and "avoid [those names] if you want a call back from that serious law firm in America."