This year, US President Donald Trump seems to be flavour of the season. In fact, the trend was started last year with a shopping arcade erecting a Trump-like effigy depicting the US President in the form of a rooster.
However, this Chinese New Year, the same mall has taken sarcasm to the next level by declaring it the year of #TrumpDog.
The Festival Mall in Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province in northern China has erected a giant statue of a dog closely resembling Donald Trump.
The statue strikingly bearing uniformity with the personality of the US President, sports the signature Trump frown, an index finger pointing skywards and not to forget the typical Trump hairdo done in golden colour. To top it all off, the effigy is also wearing a red scarf, which is much shorter than the power ties Trump usually wears.
The People's Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China, heralded the effigy's arrival, declaring "Welcome #TrumpDog".
The Chinese zodiac has a 12 year cycle with each year being represented by a separate animal. This year belongs to the dog. Coincidentally, Trump was born in 1946, also the year of the dog. However, this not good news for the US President, as according to Chinese culture, the year is of bad fortune for anyone born in the same zodiac sign. People are advised to be cautious of pitfalls during their own zodiac year.
Interestingly, while Trump frequently criticised China during his campaign trail, stating that China's unfair trade practices were "raping" the US, after taking office, he has taken a soft approach on the communist nation and often lavishes praises on Xi Jinping.
Although the statue seems a publicity stunt to gain international attention, the mall has denied that it is meant to resemble Trump. An employee from the mall who did not wish to be named, said, "It's just a cute dog for our customers to see and take pictures with."
However, in the meanwhile, the statue along with the hashtag #TrumpDog has taken social media by storm.
