CHONGQING - A Chinese artist has succeeded in making a replica of his hometown using 50,000 coins and some agate, a type of coloured rock.

The spectacular model of Chongqing City took Mr He Peiqi two hours a day for a month to build, and was done entirely by stacking up the coins without using glue.

Mr He, who is in his 30s, told Chinese media that 11 types of coins were used, while great care was also taken to highlight famous landmarks such as the Sheraton Hotel, Chaotian Gate, as well as the Yangtze and Jialing rivers.