Recently, Chongqing's landmark, Nanshan Golden Eagle Sculpture, made a quiet comeback in "golden dress." Standing on the 671-meter-high Yaoying Rock, you will see how the Golden Eagle comes back to life. Although the weather was a little bit overcast and the scaffolds were not all dismantled yet, the new 24k gold foils made the whole sculpture glittering and imposing.
The Golden Eagle in Nanshan Mountain
After eight months of renovation work, the gilding of the 24k gold foils has been finished, said an onsite worker in charge of sculpture renovation. Now, the workers are dismantling scaffolds and will start interior decoration then. At this rate, the whole renovation project will be completed within two months, and the Golden Eagle will be opened to citizens and tourists again.
The sculpture at twilight
Designed by Ye Yushan, former president of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute and also a famous sculptor, the about-32-meter-high Golden Eagle Sculpture was completed on March 28, 1998. But due to years of weathering, its exterior gold foils were badly eroded. Therefore, Chongqing Nanshan Botanical Garden closed the scenic sculpture spot for renovation on November 1, 2019. This is also its first renovation since completion 21 years ago.
The sculpture at the top of the mountain