The stone monument has the shape of four crosses joined at the top and two reversed “U” letters, meant to signify the four provinces which united throughout 1918 into a single country.
However, the monument was criticized on social media for the individual crosses’ resemblance to the logo of social media network Facebook, with internet commenters joking that the network’s CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg will take part in its inauguration.
The monument weighs more than 1,500 tons and its height reaches that of a seven or eight-story building. It will be inaugurated on Saturday, during National Day and Great Union Centennial festivities.
The monument was initially projected in 1993 and was supposed to mark the 75-year anniversary of the union. Following years of delays, the competition for the monument was restarted in 2008, with the same winner decided. However, construction works started only earlier this year, amid concerns that the monument might not be completed until December 1.