When in a foreign land, tourists often pose in front of famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower or Statue of Liberty as proof that they have the good fortune to travel to these places. And in the era of social media, they would post those photos and videos in Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumbler and YouTube.

But would you do the same if the building nearby is shaped like a male sex organ?

The South China Morning post reports that the new headquarters of the People's Daily, the main propaganda machine, is shaped like a penis. The building is still under construction in Beijing, but its outline is already evident of what it looks like.

However, the Chinese government removed photos of the edifice posted in Sina Weibo, the equivalent of Twitter in China.

The building, which stands 150 metres tall, could be found at the eastern extension of China's central business district and was designed by Zhou Qi, professor of architecture at the Southeast University in Jiangsu. The building is scheduled to be finished by May 2014.

Mr Zhou explained to Modern Express the reason for the unusual design of the building which reflects the ancient Chinese philosophy of a round sky and square earth. "Our (team's) way of expression is kind of extreme, different from the culture of moderation that Chinese people are accustomed to," Mr Zhou was quoted by Modern Express.

But like the saying that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, some people do not see a penis but a steel-shaped penguin, a giant juicer, an electric iron, a chamber pot and an aircraft carrier.

The building's female counterpart could be found in Chicago where the Diamond Building, which is shaped like a vagina, stands. It is also known as the Crain Communications Building.

Sheldon Schlegman, the designer of the building, said he did not intend to building to appear like a female reproductive organ. The building was featured in several movies such as Adventures in Babysitting and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

These two edifices bring to mind the Austin Powers movie series where the antagonist, Dr Evil, owns a spaceship that resembles a penis and testicles.