A national competition was held recently for sculptures created to adorn city parks and public spaces. A panel of judges in Yixing, of eastern Jiangsu province, gave 33 awards to works considered to be the highest level of this art form. But experts say city sculptures in China often lack creativity and are meagre in theme and variety.

The Ox in Cultivation, by artist Pan He, continues to toil on the plaza of Shenzhen's municipal government building. This sculpture is a symbol of the people of Shenzhen's aspiring spirit as the city heralded China's reform and opening up. It's considered a masterpiece among Chinese city sculptures.

But over the past two decades, nearly a hundred similar sculptures have been erected at various cities across China. None are considered more influential than the original. Experts say simulation eliminates a sculpture's power.

Wu Weishan, director from Art Dept. of China City Sculpture Committee, said, “The theme of an art piece is highlighted by its artistic value. Each city should create sculptures featuring its culture, rather than simulating other cities.”

Experts say abstract designs with vague themes and meagre artistic value are other poor examples of city sculptures. They can be seen as parodies of western art.

In recent years, Beijing and Shanghai have removed some such sculptures and replaced them with creations considered to have better themes and higher artistic value.

The quickly changing pace of cities calls for sculptures that go with the time, or reflect a profound culture and history. The National City Sculpture Competition in Yixing is an effort to help such works to be born.