For some they were well-intentioned symbols of ethnic unity. For others they were an ugly and unnecessary addition to Tiananmen Square.
The fate of the 56 columns erected for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, on October 1, had been the subject of much debate. But after nearly two months of deliberation on whether to make them a permanent feature, the final decision has been made: the 'ethnic unity pillars' must go.
Quoting officials from a municipal commission that oversees Tiananmen Square and surrounding areas, the Beijing Times reported yesterday that the columns would be moved out of the square and relocated to Olympic Park in the north of the city.
Xinhua confirmed the columns would be moved to the Olympic Park before the end of the year. Officials from the Olympic Park Administration Commission had selected three potential spots for the pillars.
The columns that lined the east and western edges of the square were meant to cultivate a sense of national unity after rising ethnic tensions that erupted this summer in Xinjiang and last spring in Tibet.
The columns are red with a golden top, and the bases carry portraits of different ethnic-minority groups. They were originally meant to be a temporary addition, but media reports in early October suggested a rethink was under way.
The square, the scene of political gatherings such as the National Day parade and the 1989 democracy movement, has only undergone two permanent alterations in six decades - the construction of the Monument to the People's Heroes in 1958 and the mausoleum of Mao Zedong in 1977.