A 70-meter-high 16-story complex shaped like a traditional Chinese stringed instrument officially opened on Dec 20 in Hengqin, Guangdong province, within the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone.

The structure, a new landmark for the region, was designed by Chinese Canadian architect Peter Guo-hua Fu, general manager of KFS Architects Inc Canada, the Shanghai-based company that was commissioned by the Hengqin government in 2010 to design the building next to the Tianmu River.

The company has been involved in the development of 5 million square meters of residential and commercial real estate in Shanghai but Fu said he relished the challenge of creating a landmark in Hengqin.

"Creating an iconic city landmark is every architect's dream and challenge," Fu said of the gigantic project named The Music on the River that has 96,000 square meters of aboveground space and 146,000 square meters of underground facilities.

"It must gain social acceptance and embody the city's culture and spirit, while possessing a distinctive and unforgettable uniqueness," Fu added.