Chinese zoo’s winter attractions cut no ice with unimpressed visitors
Odd-looking sculptures get frosty reception after visitors complain they are a waste of money and may frighten small children
A zoo in eastern China has attracted widespread derision after it unveiled a series of ice sculptures that visitors deemed strange, ridiculous and even scary.
The unnamed zoo in the city of Ningbo, Zhejiang province, recently launched its new Ice Kingdom exhibit to attract tourists in time for winter, Chinanews.com reported on Tuesday.
However, some of the odd-looking sculptures, which are supposed to resemble animals and other characters from hit children’s films such as Frozen – have had the opposite effect to that intended.
One visitor surnamed Lin was quoted as saying that he took his family to see the attraction, but his children were too scared to look at the sculptures.
Many of them were carelessly put together and unrealistic, with some even missing arms and legs, he said.
Others had eyes he described as “terrifying”.
Tickets for the Ice Kingdom cost 40 yuan (US$6) and the attraction also contains ice-themed games and rides for visitors, the report said.
The ice models have been roundly mocked on Chinese social media, with many commenters on Weibo comparing them unfavourably to those at the Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, which is known for its impressive and complex creations.
“Don’t waste your money on this, go to Harbin instead. This would scare your kids and scar them psychologically,” one user said.
