Hong Kong operator forced to deflate giant duck similar to beloved art installation, after causing a splash
- Authorities order removal of rubber duck, which looks similar to well-known installations by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman
- ‘We thought it was just a fun thing for kayakers to take selfies with,’ says staff member from firm behind removed duck
The rubber figure is co-owned by Sheung Sze Wan Kayak Hire and Green Egg Island Canoe and Kayak Rental in Sheung Sze Wan Village in Sai Kung, the Post learned on Thursday.
But the eight-metre-tall (26-foot) duck was nowhere to be found at the village in the morning. Complaints had been made about the figure, one of the operators said.
“It’s on the news so we have no choice but to deflate the duck. We don’t have a date whether it will be inflated again for our kayakers,” a staff member said anonymously. “It’s not going to be any time soon.”
Another operator said residents were still welcome to rent a kayak and go to Green Egg Island, but the giant duck would no longer be present.
“People from at least 20 government departments came to the village and checked this morning. We thought it was just a fun thing for kayakers to take selfies with, but now everything has gone back to normal,” a staff member said.
The Marine Department said it had discovered an inflatable yellow rubber duck in Sai Kung on Wednesday and immediately issued a notice asking the owners to remove it within a specified time period.
Businesses and organisations who wished to place such items in the water are required to apply for a permit, a statement from the department said.
The Post has learned that the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department was among the authorities that carried out the check this morning.
The day before its removal, the almost eight-metre tall duck had been inflated at Hiu Po Path, where the two rental companies are located. It was then placed in nearby waters for residents to take photos.
Both co-owners of the duck had shared a post on their Facebook pages with the same content, saying customers of both rentals could get close to the inflatable and take pictures with it.
The laying and placing of any port facility or the floating of other structures in Hong Kong waters is prohibited without written permission from the director of the Marine Department, according to regulations.
A notice with a deadline for removal is issued if such a structure is found. Owners who fail to comply face a fine of HK$10,000 (US$1,275) and a six-month jail term. The department arranges for contractors to take down any such structure.
Inflatable rubber ducks in different sizes are available on Chinese online shopping platform Taobao. A six-metre and eight-metre thickened PVC duck sold at 3,195 yuan and 5,085 yuan (US$714), respectively, excluding delivery costs. Taobao is owned by Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post.
From Saturday, a pair of 18-metre-tall inflatable rubber duck created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman will float in Victoria Harbour, a decade after the original installation appeared in the city.
They are set to stay until June 24, according to organiser AllRightsReserved, a Hong Kong-based art studio.
The studio declined to comment on the inflatable duck in Sai Kung.
A source familiar with AllRightsReserved’s ducks said the organiser spent over a year negotiating with various authorities, including the department, for approval for showing the public art in Central.
