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ChinaPeople & Culture

Digital terracotta warrior in Chinese ancient capital Xian removed after online ridicule

  • Installation in Xian allowed people to project their own face onto the digital sculpture, but it attracted widespread derision

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The installation was derided for failing to fit in with the character of the city’s historic heart. Photo: Weibo
Michelle Wong

A digital sculpture of a terracotta warrior’s head in northwest China has been removed within a day of installation after it attracted a flurry of online ridicule.

The giant installation in Xian, the home of the celebrated sculptures, was designed to allow passers-by to take a facial scan using 3D technology, which would then be projected onto the face of the warrior.

The interactive installation was set up in front of Xian’s Bell Tower on Monday with the aim of educating the public about the rich history of the city.

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“Initially, many people found it interesting but many others kept complaining about it. We had no choice but to remove it,” a representative from Beilin district’s publicity department said in a video published on video news outlet Pear Video.

The officer did not elaborate on the nature of complaints, but Chinese social media has been abuzz with ridicule following its installation.

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