Inflatable duck causes social media stir in Hong Kong

Not everyone, it seems, is charmed by the inflatable sitting on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront.

Tens of thousands flocked for a glimpse of the yellow inflatable sculpture over the weekend, but it has prompted ridicule among some internet users, and one even posted a video of it exploding, raising fears somebody could try to damage it.

The 16.5-metre-tall piece by Dutch conceptual artist Florentijn Hofman has been a major talking point since it floated into Victoria Harbour on Thursday.

One YouTube user, Hongkongloki, posted a 12-second video entitled "Bombing the massive duck that has flooded Facebook", which showed the blow-up bird exploding and disappearing mysteriously into the sea. Alongside it the user posted: "But please don't destroy [it] - it is illegal," to counter concerns the video could prompt somebody to damage the duck.

It had attracted 24,000 hits by yesterday afternoon.

"I don't know why the duck is so worth watching and deserves so many posts [on Facebook]," another user said. Some condemned the video for a "lack of taste" and said it could prompt people to damage public property.