The Wangjing Panda Has Gotten a Cyberpunk Upgrade
Above: Weibo user @SanjoeMok_8K039 posted this image of the new panda sculpture being installed.
If you’ve walked between Line 14's Wangjing South Station and 798, you’ve most likely noticed an interesting sight: a statue in the middle of a roundabout depicting a panda and panda cub munching on bamboo. If you haven’t had the chance to catch it, though, that chance is now gone, as the statue has been given something of an upgrade.
The statue is located just outside Wangjing South Station
And this upgrade is decidedly sci-fi inspired.
A closer look at the panda in a mech suit from Weibo user @老海眼花
Meet what we'd like to call the Panda Mech – a big giant panda in a big giant mech suit exoskeleton type thing.
This fella replaced the other panda statue because, well, the other one was too old, according to city engineers. Constructed way back in 2012, the old pandas were showing signs of aging and decay, but rather than go through the trouble of refurbishing, the city decided to completely replace them.
The Panda Mech was designed by artist Bi Heng (毕横 bì héng), and it seems to be a smaller version of other panda mech statues – one at Beijing Expo Park and another at Jinan, Shandong Province (which has also made appearances at other spots around the country).
The artist with a larger version of the panda in Jinan, Shandong Province (photo taken from artist's Weibo account @毕横)
These aren't the only mech pieces Bi has designed, though. The artist also designed a mech bull which graced Sanlitun Taikoo Li around Chinese New Year this year.
Bi is the brains behind a mech bull that appeared in Taikoo Li around Chinese New Year as seen in this photo from Weibo user @芭莎艺术in
Prior to that, the artist unveiled a giant swimming mech dragon at Galaxy SOHO, as well as a mech version of the Monkey King and a Transformers-inspired take on Guan Yu.
Guan Gong, aka "Liberation", Bi's take on Guan Yu (photo courtesy of China Daily)
Despite the impressive mechanized pedigree behind the Panda Mech, a few netizens have noticed a minor difference with the Wangjing version – unlike its two siblings in Expo Park and Jinan, this one has what looks to be a wifi symbol on its chest instead of a yin-yang.
The difference has led to many a joke on the Chinese internet, with some netizens wondering if they'll get free wifi if they stand close enough to the new statue.
The mech panda at Beijing Expo Park, note the yin-yang instead of the wifi symbol on its chest (photo courtesy of the artist via his Weibo account @毕横)
Have you visited the Panda Mech yet? What are your thoughts on this statue upgrade for Wangjing? Let us know in the comments!
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Images: Sina Weibo, China Daily
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