The Dutch creator of the giant rubber duck is not pleased with Chinese copies

Beijing/Amsterdam - Chinese counterfeiters and imitators are known for constantly pushing the boundaries, whether it’s fake “branded” handbags or fake eggs. However, since the typical yellow inflatable rubber duck by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman appeared in the Hong Kong harbor and enchanted millions of visitors, they have had their hands full. Thanks to them, imitations of yellow ducks have flooded cities across China, reported the news site CNN.
    The city of Dongguan, for example, proudly displays its duck, which has taken on a cartoonish appearance complete with a blue bow and long eyelashes above its round eyes, as well as Xi'an, where the duck sits rather lonely between a metal guard gate. And on Friday, the city of Wuhan in central China joined in, whose residents were particularly excited about the visit of the inflatable duck.
    "The duck is finally here! I’m rolling with laughter just seeing the pictures," wrote one user on the Chinese internet platform Weibo. Others were pleased that they didn’t have to travel all the way to Hong Kong to see the duck, which arrived here in May and became a tourist attraction for eager visitors.
    However, others began to wonder how it was possible to have the duck in Wuhan when it was supposed to stay in Hong Kong until June 9, and its creator Hofman had also announced that the next stop would be the United States.
    "These shanzhai ducks are ridiculous," commented one user on Weibo. Shanzhai is a Chinese slang term for imitations, although it may not always carry a pejorative meaning.
    Florentijn Hofman confirmed to CNN over the phone that the duck in Wuhan did not come from his workshop. "The rumors that it is mine are false," he stated. "If people want the real one, they have to come to me," he added about his creation, which has already traveled through several cities from Sydney to São Paulo.
    And although imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, Hofman is reportedly not pleased with the sudden inflation of giant Chinese rubber ducks. "I have always referred to my rubber duck as a yellow catalyst," he said. "And right now, this catalyst has shown that you can't trust China, and that's a huge problem."
    "If I were Chinese, I would revolt. I would really revolt," he added. "This kind of behavior destroys society."