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The traditional Chinese phoenix symbol suggests the perfect balance of yin and yang, and is a popular sign adorning everything from buildings to pottery across the eastern country.

And now it has inspired the design of a pair of skyscrapers that, if built, will measure 3,280ft (1km) tall.

The Phoenix Towers have been designed to be a soaring centre piece for the city of Wuhan - the capital of central China - and could become the world's tallest pair of skyscrapers as early as 2017.

The Chinese phoenix symbol of high virtue and balance has inspired the design of a pair of skyscrapers (illustrated) that if built, will measure 3,280ft (1km) tall. The world's tallest building is currently the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, at 2,722ft (829 metres)

PHOENIX TOWER SPECIFICATIONS

The taller of the two towers will measure 3,280ft (1km) if it is built.

They are designed to be the centre piece for the city of Wuhan, the capital of central China.

'Planets' orbiting the towers could house themed restaurants an d 'insect hotels' would be protect plants in the building from pests.

The design was based on the Chinese phoenix symbol (pictured) and balanced union.

One tower will feed the other with renewable power and together they are intended to reduce pollution levels nearby.

They include green walls, solar panels, biomass boilers, a thermal chimney and wind turbine, used to drive a giant kaleidoscope.

The project is estimated to cost £1.2billion ($2 billion) with an estimated completion date of 2017.

The world's tallest building is currently the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, at 2,722ft (829 metres).

Once completed, the Chinese skyscrapers would be same height as the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia planned for 2018.

As well as their collective incredible height, visitors to the city of Wuhan would also be able to see vast 'planets' orbiting the towers, as well as take in the world's tallest kaleidoscope.

The imaginative design was dreamt up by London-based architects Chetwoods for Wuhan's HuaYan Group.

The towers would cover seven hectares of a 47 hectare site, situated on an island in a lake, which is at the end of a  9,842ft (3km) avenue within a dense city layout – a little like a futuristic Eiffel Tower.

The city itself is known as the city of a thousand lakes.

However, the building of the huge £1.2billion ($2billion) project depends on approval from the Mayor of Wuhan. If it goes ahead, the towers could be built within just three years.

The towers (illustrated) will be packed with technology if they are built, and are designed to reduce the pollution levels in the city. The smaller of the towers has plant walls, insect hotels and biomass boilers, while the larger one is covered in photovoltaic panels to harvest solar energy. A kaleidoscope could be driven by a wind turbine

The towers (illustrated) have been designed to be a soaring centre piece for the city of Wuhan - the capital of central China - and could become the world's tallest pair of skyscrapers as early as 2017

The building of the £1.2billion ($2billion) project (illustrated) depends on approval from the Mayor of Wuhan

'In response to the client's wish to develop a new style of architecture that emphasises Chinese identity, the use of a pair of towers reflects the dualist elements of Chinese culture in contrast to a more western monolithic form,' the architects said.

Based on the traditional Chinese phoenix symbol of two birds, male Feng and Huang, the plan was generated from the yin and yang form to represent perfectly balanced union.

The Feng tower uses cutting-edge technology to 'feed' the Huang tower with renewable power in a symbiotic process.

Among the technological features planned for the structure are ways to recycle and clean water and air, in a bid to reduce local pollution levels.

In the design, there are three large spheres suspended between the two skyscrapers, which represent 'planets' orbiting the towers.

These are set to house restaurants that will have a celestial theme and are accessed via 'skywalks' from the towers themselves.

The main tower would accommodate the world's tallest kaleidoscope, driven by a wind turbine at a high level to create a colourful display when viewed from below.

Chetwoods said the project would showcase social, economic and environmental sustainability in China if it gets the go-ahead.

The towers could cover seven hectares of a 47 hectare site, situated on an island in a lake, which is at the end of a 9,842ft (3km) avenue within a dense city layout - a little like a futuristic Eiffel Tower. The city itself is known as the city of a thousand lakes. A plan is pictured