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Giant rubber duck visits Hong Kong
巨大橡皮鸭畅游香港维多利亚港
People of all ages in Hong Kong are enjoying a special avian visitor. The city’s busy harbor is never short of action, but a new rubbery addition is taking things to another level.
Despite heavy rain and the coldest day in May in almost a century, hundreds of people gather at Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor to take a look at their new guest---a giant rubber duck. It began its global tour back in 2007, and after 12 international visits it has arrived here, on its first trip to China.
The body is made of more than 200 PVC plates, and weighs 600 kilograms. Standing 6 stories tall, this massive bird is a stark contrast to the vessels in the harbor. The designer says the giant toy is mainly for adults, who could use a friendly reminder of their childhoods.
Florentijn Hofman, the designer said, "In 2001 I got idea while meeting friend in a museum, and I saw the Dutch landscape. I thought it would be nice if you have a small yellow duck on the water, and then I got the idea and started with concept. "
But designing it wasn’t easy. Getting the shape just right took some effort. “Take the beek for example, it would be round after inflated. So I added many plates in it for the shape.” said Florentijn Hofman.
After designing the duck, making sure it stays afloat is another challenge. Hofman says he brought in experts to help out. “Waves, wind, weather, electric, air pressure are the challenges. Now every minute there is a team of 20 members to monitor the weather forcast. If the wind is heavy, duck must be deflated…” This giant duck could bring peace to the whole world.
