Disgruntled rubber duck perks up in Beijing

Photo taken on September 8 shows Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman's giant rubber duck at the Beijing Garden Expo Park. [Photo: CNS / Li Huisi]

A giant rubber duck which was found to have a drooping beak and wrinkled skin after it made its Beijing debut Friday has been repaired.

Visitors to the International Garden Expo Park were shocked to find the inflatable duck, a brainchild of Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, with a drooping beak, making it look like a chicken. The beak was supposed to be upturned and flat.

The duck also looked wrinkled and not as perky as it was when exhibited in Hong Kong in May and June.

The disgruntled looking 18-meter-tall duck became a hot topic on the popular microblogging service, Sina Weibo.

"He must have disguised himself as a chicken so that he won't be taken away by Quanjude," an Internet user said in jest. Quanjude is China's most famous restaurant chain that serves Beijing roast duck.

"There were some flaws when inflating the duck, and we have adjusted it overnight," Zeng Hui, deputy manager of the Beijing Design Week Organizing Committee Office, which is in charge of the duck's copyright import.

Zeng said the wrinkles were caused by insufficient inflation, while the beak was not assembled properly.

A maintenance team deflated the bird on Friday night and spent eight hours re-assembling its beak, made of more than 30 pieces of rubber.

"A good design will not have the ideal display effect without good manufacturing," Zeng explained, adding that the duck has now perked up.

The duck will remain on the Yongding River that passes through the park until Sept. 23, then move to the Summer Palace, a famous Beijing tourist spot, where it will be on display until Oct. 26.