The illegally built gigantic bronze statue of Guan Yu will be relocated from Jingzhou to a new location after it drew criticism from authorities and the public for its obtrusive size and incompatible appearance.
But the relocation plan seems to be stirring more controversies, as it is reported to reach 155 million yuan or nearly $23.8 million.
The monument is dedicated to second-century general Guan Yu, a military leader during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) and killed in a battle while trying to defend Jingzhou. It is made of bronze and stands at 58 meters tall and weighs close to 1200 tons. The enormous statue has been opened to the public in Guanyu Park in Jingzhou, Hubei province in 2016.
A report by China’s state broadcaster CCTV this week quoted a senior official from the Jingzhou tourism department as saying the statue was built at a time when Chinese cities were competing to create tourist attractions that could be included in Guinness World Records.
It took three years to complete the monument, and cost around 173 million yuan.
In 2019, Hubei regulators deemed the statue’s construction as illegal and in November last year, an investigation by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development concluded it “ruined the character and culture of Jingzhou as a historic city”. It described the statue as “vain and wasteful.”
Earlier this week, the provincial government of Hubei announced that the relocation this month. The statue will be moved to its new home just 8 kilometers away in Dianjiangtai, which is said to have been built by Guan Yu for military drills.
The relocation project will include disassembling, renovating the original site, installing and constructing the new site, and landscaping, according to an announcement on the official online approval and supervision platform for investment projects in Hubei.
The removal of copper pieces on the statue and its installation at the new site will cost 40 million yuan alone, according to an announcement released on a bidding platform of Hubei.
Several people commented on the relocation plan, saying the budget can already build many schools for kids in poverty-stricken areas and prevent children from dropping out.
“Build it then tear it down; that’s how someone gains profits,” said another.
