Canton Tower
There had been a long discussion about the naming of the Canton Tower since the commencement of its construction in 2005 after the groundbreaking ceremony. In September 2009, at the request of the tower's investor, "Guangzhou Daily" launched a contest for naming proposals. The contest attracted over valid entries, among which "Haixin Tower" () was awarded the first prize. The name alluded to the city's historical setting as the start of the Maritime Silk Road and the tower's geographical proximity to Haixinsha Island. However, this name was considered obscure to people unfamiliar with the history of the city. Local residents continued to refer to the tower by various nicknames including "Slim Waist" (), "Twisted Firewood" (; a metaphor for "stubborn" in Cantonese) and "Yangdianfeng" (; homophone of "epilepsy" in colloquial Chinese).