Shanghai unveils ‘stronger’ version of Wall Street charging bull

Italian-US artist Arturo Di Modica's Charging Bull statue is seen at the Bund after its unveiling in Shanghai

Shanghai unveiled a new landmark on its Bund waterfront over the weekend, a bronze bull sculpture inspired by Wall Street’s “Charging Bull” representing China’s rising financial ambitions.

American artist Arturo Di Modica — the sculptor behind the New York bull who also created its Shanghai sibling — was at the unveiling on Saturday.

The "Charging Bull" statue, sometimes called the Wall Street Bull by Arturo Di Modica in New York

At 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) tall and 2.5 tons (2.7 tons), the Shanghai sculpture was the same size as the Wall Street version, but “redder, younger and stronger, It’s a mixture of Western and Chinese cultures,” said Di Modica, adding he was inspired by both the “Charging Bull” and the Chinese Zodiac’s ox.

The animal’s confident stance represented a bullish and prosperous future for the rising financial center, he said.

The Shanghai officials who commissioned the sculpture had previously said they wanted their bull to weigh twice as much the one on Wall Street.

The city requested a bull that was younger and stronger than New York City’s bull to symbolize “the energy of Shanghai’s economy, that’s why the head of the Bund’s bull looks up while the Wall Street Bull looks downward,”said the head of Huangpu district

In the early 20th century, the neo-classical buildings along the Bund were known as the “Wall Street of Asia” and giants born there include the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp., or HSBC, and insurers American International Group, or AIG.

Visitor’s Guide to The Bund: Shanghai’s Newly Opened Waterfront Landmark

“金融牛” 现身上海滩

5月15日，有着“远东华尔街”比喻的上海外滩，迎来一位特殊的“客人”――高2．5米的铜雕“外滩金融牛”。这头牛略呈红铜色，尾巴高高翘起，线条深 邃、肌肉结实，年轻、健壮，且活力四溢，体重达2.5吨。由国际著名雕塑大师阿图罗・迪・莫迪卡设计 的这尊铜牛，成了建设中的外滩金融集聚带的一个新“符号”。莫迪卡说，他特意选用了红色作为作品的基调，因为在他眼中，红色象征着中国拥有的无穷力量。莫迪卡也是著名的“华尔街公牛”的设计者。伫立在华尔街中 心的那座铜牛，20多年来默默见证着国际金融市场的风云变幻。

金融牛“扎根”于面积近5000平方米的上海外滩金融广场，在这里，除了新添“金融牛”这一文化符号外，未来还 将设立金融信息屏，发布世界各地主要金融市场的信息。此外，周围2.6平方公里区域正发起新一轮吸“金”攻势，打造外滩“金融集聚带”，以重塑外滩金融功 能、再现昔日“远东第一金融街”风采。