12 of the most beautiful new buildings in China

MAD

The Harbin Opera House.

Chinese architecture has always been loud, from the ornate pagodas that once housed family dynasties to the unusually shaped skyscrapers that inspired a ban on "weird buildings."

In recent years, contemporary buildings have cropped up on the glittering skylines of Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, and as far as the remote provinces south of Mongolia. These new developments add elegance and simplicity to the country's architectural portfolio.

We rounded up the most striking new buildings across China.