Ring of Life: A Ring of Steel in Fushun, China

A new landmark is taking shape in the north-eastern city of Fushun in Liaoning province in China. A gigantic steel loop dubbed the ‘Ring of Life’. The structure stands 515 foot tall and is made of a whopping 3,000 tonnes of steel. At night, it will glow with a phenomenal 12,000 LED lights. The project is estimated to cost $16M US dollars According to Fushun Municipal Government's officials, this titanic structure has been built simply to serve as an viewing platform. The developer originally planned to add a platform for visitors to bungee jump off. However, the idea was abandoned because the ring is too high for bungee jumpers.
A local construction bureau official told the Shenyang Evening News that Fushun wanted to have an office tower on the spot of the ring but the town was too small to support it. The Ring of Life came to fruition after the developer scrapped three other plans.
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The Ring of Life has been both praised and ridiculed in the media. The Chinese media has been harsh about the building after a blogger posted photos of the building on the Internet, with many people comparing the structure to a “Stargate” transport ring. This of course has prompted a number of amusing “photoshops”.
Meanwhile, the Huffington Post called it "stunning" and National Geographic listed a photo of the ring amongst their "Best of September (2012)”.
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Some examples of image manipulation ridiculing the structure. The ring of life has been compared to “Stargate” – a fictional portal for space travel.
Sources: Wikipedia, Gizmodo, Cri.cn, Chinesedefense

Source consulted: Amusing Planet