Chinese authorities are paying $ 24 million to move a 190-foot-tall bronze statue of former war god Guan Yu following complaints from residents that it was an eyesore.
The statue, which cost $ 26 million to build, is being dismantled by workers in Jingzhou City, the South China Morning Post reports.
So far, only the head of the statue has been removed.
The statue of Guan Yu – a general who lived during the Han Dynasty (202 BC government officials.
They argue that the 1,200 ton statue is ugly and a vanity project that ruins the appearance of the ancient city.
The Jingzhou Housing Ministry decided in December last year that the statue should disappear.
It is moved to a neighboring tourist area.
The statue is said to be the largest of Guan Yu in the world.
“Back then we had a drive and a tendency to break the Guinness World Record. So it got bigger during the design process, â€said Zhang Hong, deputy director of Jingzhou Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau.
He said the purpose of making the statue so large was to attract visitors.
The attraction is said to have made only around $ 2 million since it was built.
