As Tet approaches, Hai Phong is getting a redo on its holiday decorations after internet users mocked the northern port city’s recent decorations.
According to Zing, Vice Chairman Nguyen Xuan Binh of the Hai Phong People’s Committee announced on Sunday that the large, yellow dragon at the end of Le Hong Phong Street would be redecorated immediately. The move came after social media users made the dragon, whose face bears a likeness to Pikachu, the subject of several memes which quickly went viral.
Photo via Facebook user Thanh Cosplay.
Though the dragon structure has existed for a long time, Binh told the news outlet, it was recently redecorated with yellow flowers to prepare for Tet. However because the revamp brought “bad publicity” to the city, according to Binh, the city chose to alter it.
Photo via Zing.
Nguyen Khac Ha, president of the Hai Phong Green Tree Park Company, the firm responsible for managing the city’s parks, agreed with the decision.
“The tail was fine,” Ha told Zing, “but the head is not suitable. The company is sending workers to continue to improve the decoration until it is a finished product.”
Photo via Facebook user Sai Gon Bao.
Amid this internet frenzy, rumors also popped up that the massive yellow Pikadragon cost VND60 billion (US$2.65 million) to create, reports Phap Luat, however Vice Chairman Binh swiftly denied these allegations, telling Zing the decoration cost VND100 million (US$4,430) to complete.
[Top photo via Facebook user Thang Fly Comics]
