$2.7B tourist station design in China looks like 'sanitary pad,' netizens say

Work on the station in Nanjing, one of China’s four great ancient capitals, is scheduled to start in the first half of this year, Nanjing Morning News reported.

Chinese officials said the station’s design was inspired by plum flowers, a symbol of Nanjing which bloom every February and March, according to Chinese state media.

However, the topic of "the design of Nanjing North Railway Station" has been trending on Weibo, China’s largest social media over the past weeks, with netizens disparaging the design.

The topic has received over 3 million views and thousands of comments on Weibo.

A Weibo user wrote: "This is a giant sanitary pad. It's really embarrassing to say it looks like a plum blossom." 

"It’s a pity. We can recognize that design looks like sanitary pad, but the architects couldn't," another said.

The station is estimated to cost 20 billion yuan (US$2.7 billion) and is slated to open in 2027.

Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu province in eastern China.

Between the sixth and 15th centuries, Nanjing served as the capital of dynasties that included the Southern Tang, Song and Ming.

Today, the city is a popular tourist destination.