Visitors to the town square in Ha Long City, the capital of the northern province of Quang Ninh, are getting creamed out by a dozen weed-covered statues meant to represent the zodiac animals. 

The ‘artworks,’ representing the 12 animals of the Vietnamese zodiac, were designed to grow flowers, creating colorful depictions of each animal.

A private company contracted local artisans to complete the 12 statues and donated the finished works to Ha Long authorities, which chose to display them in the city’s October 30 Square to celebrate the 2018 Lunar New Year this past February.

However, visitors to the square were unsure if the statues were meant to appear artistic or overgrown.

“[The statues] all look like they have mane,” a visitor mocked, pointing to the statues of the buffalo, pig, and rat in the square. 

Hoang Quang Hai, deputy chairman of the Ha Long administration, admitted to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the statues were deteriorating.

Hai said that the statues’ degradation was caused by recent weather conditions in the area, which have been dancing between the scorching sun and violent thunderstorms.

The deputy chairman also blamed the management unit for not regularly cultivating and pruning the statues.

The city’s administration has requested that the management unit focus on revitalizing the plants to ensure the recovering of the statues, according to Hai.

“In the future, these statues will be better managed,” Hai asserted.

Plants grow wildly on the monkey statue in October 30 Square in Ha Long City.

Weeds cover the buffalo statue in October 30 Square in Ha Long City.

Wild plants on the pig statue in October 30 Square in Ha Long City

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