The giant rubber duck has left Hong Kong and is heading to the USA. The 54-foot-tall yellow duck was deflated overnight and removed from Victoria Harbour. The massive duck has visited a total of 13 cities since 2007. The next stop is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Thousands showed up in Hong Kong to bid the duck farewell. Since its arrival in May, the duck has drawn thousands of tourists to the area, giving the local economy a temporary boost. Local business owners capitalized on the duck, offering hotel packages, special duck themed menus, and souvenirs.
Residents of Hong Kong were thrilled with their large yellow guest, which was a welcome addition to the downtown landscape.
As reported by Today.com , after a sendoff celebration, the duck was deflated and removed in the middle of the night. Organizers of the display wanted to avoid upsetting residents, who felt a personal connection to the giant rubber duck.
The duck , formerly called “The Rubber Duck,” is the creation of Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman. As stated at FlorentijnHofman.nl , the duck is a work of art representing peace and unity:
“it doesn’t discriminate people and doesn’t have a political connotation. The friendly, floating Rubber Duck has healing properties … The rubber duck is soft, friendly and suitable for all ages!”
Residents of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are anticipating the arrival of the giant rubber duck. As reported by the Post Gazette , The duck will be displayed in the Allegheny River , debuting during the annual Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts.
Hofman and the duck will open the festival on September 27. The festival runs through October 26, and features artistic works from around the world
Unfortunately the giant rubber duck has not been without controversy. Just last week censors in China banned the search term “big yellow duck.”
Pranksters replaced the tanks in a famous photo titled “Tank Man,” with pictures of rubber ducks. The doctored photo was released as the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident approached. The photo prompted censors to ban the search term as they felt the photo was disrespectful.
Despite the controversy, the giant yellow duck will be missed by residents of Hong Kong. however residents of Pittsburgh are highly anticipating the arrival of their very special guest.
[Image via Flickr ]