Critics busy as giant toad floats into Beijing

An inflatable golden toad that first appeared in Beijing earlier this month in an attempt to emulate the success in China of the Rubber Duck created by Dutch designer Florentijn Hofman has stirred controversy on the Internet.

Guo Yongyao, chairman of Ningbo Jinluban Carpentry Co, designed the toad in December and said his initial intention was to compete with Western art and raise funds for the protection of cultural relics.

Based in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, Guo is a carpenter with an enthusiasm for traditional Chinese art.