On October 11th, a netizen posted a video claiming that the sculptures in a themed park in Lijiang, Yunnan, such as the “human centipede” were bizarre in shape, making people uncomfortable and sparking online attention.
On October 12th, staff from the Wild Country scenic area responded to the media, stating that the Wild Country is a fairy tale kingdom created by the pioneer of the slash youth culture, Qiao Xiaodao, for his daughter. They attributed the negative online reviews to some bloggers deliberately dramatizing the situation. While conceding that some of the artworks in the area are indeed exaggerated in design, they recommended that visitors should understand them in advance before deciding whether to visit or not.
The most controversial sculpture was the “human centipede,” with its interconnected human bodies being criticized as “designs from the underworld” that some netizens associated with horror culture. The statue of the “three-faced girl,” with three overlapping faces, was said to cause visual discomfort among the public.
A large number of netizens disagreed with the style of the scenic area, commenting, “The aesthetics are indeed uncomfortable, too much of an underworld style.” “Suitable for shooting a horror film.” “Is this meant for children?” “Whose fairy tale looks like this?”
Weibo influencer and parenting expert Zhang Silai criticized in a post, “Such an amusement park does not give children a sense of beauty and appears rather eerie!”
Weibo influencer “Zhu Qingguang Yizhu Fengshui” said, “It’s not just uncomfortable, it’s frightening. Not everyone enjoys alternative and thrilling experiences, especially children. Therefore, such designs are not suitable for public places. You can have them in a room escape game, because those who go there are intentionally seeking excitement, but the design like this in the scenic area may give children nightmares.”
First-tier corporate human resources manager “Pen Pen Loves Taking Photos” posted, “As we stroll through the scenic area, it should have been a journey of deep dialogue with local cultures, experiencing beauty. From ancient architectural styles to unique folk symbols, they are vivid carriers of cultural heritage, carrying the memories of history and continuing the spiritual context of the nation. However, it seems that some scenic areas neglect this point during the design process, blindly pursuing novelty and exaggeration without delving into and respecting local cultural connotations, resulting in a chaotic mix of design elements that not only fail to showcase the beauty of culture but also create a sense of discordance.”