Beijing prepares for bigger, better rubber duck than Hong Kong

Rubber duck fever is mounting in Beijing ahead of the imminent arrival of another enormous inflatable duck designed by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, tempered by questions about the cost of viewing it and the traffic jams it might cause.

The ducks have proved a huge tourist draw on their global tour, including a stop in Hong Kong in the spring. This one will float on a lake in the newly constructed Beijing Garden Expo Park in the capital's southwestern Fengtai district from September 6 to September 23.

It will then continue its trip in Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace in northwestern Beijing until October 26, the organiser said. Rubber duck commemorative stamps and postcards are already being prepared.

The duck appearing in Beijing stands 18 metres tall, 1.5 metres taller than the one that floated in Victoria Harbour in May.

News of its arrival has triggered heated discussion among Beijingers, especially since at least 10 counterfeit replicas have already popped up in other mainland cities, including Dongguan, Tianjin, Xian, Wenzhou and Wuhan.

"The authentic rubber duck is floating in Beijing," Xinhua said on its website.