From left to right: The wax figures of Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li. [Photo/IC]

'Tacky' wax museum withdraws celebrity figures

A wax museum in Southwest China's Sichuan province has withdrawn a dozen celebrity wax figures after pictures of the inaccurate models have gone viral on Chinese social media, Guangzhou Daily reported.

The museum in Chengdu, Sichuan province, like Hong Kong's Madame Tussauds, houses wax figures of several household names, including martial artist and actor Jet Li, movie star Jacky Chan, pop singer Jay Chou and actress Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li.

One difference, however, is that the figures appear dull, and appear to have a rather outdated fashion sense, Chengdu Commercial Daily reported.

"Zhang Ziyi and [actress] Gong Li look like they just came back from square dancing," one Weibo user wrote.

"I saw the picture a few days ago. That's too much," Zhang's agent Ji Lingling told the newspaper. "We'll … file a lawyer's letter and get them to remove the Zhang Ziyi figure."

To everyone's surprise, the makers of the wax figures include the ex-curator of the Beijing Wax Museum and several artists from Central Academy of Fine Arts.

Staff with the Beijing Wax Museum said the works, designed seven or eight years ago, were based on the photos in which the celebrities dressed in costumes. "It has something to do with the outdated costumes but not the makers' skills," the staff, who refused to be identified, said.

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