Two statues donated by actor Jackie Chan to a museum in Taiwan have been splashed with paint and daubed with anti-China slogans, reflecting growing tensions over Beijing's influence on the island.

The bronze dragon and horse heads sit in the garden of the National Palace Museum's new branch in the southern city of Chiayi.

They are replicas of high-profile ancient relics from China's Qing Dynasty. The statues, with paint cans left on the heads, were streaked with red paint and their bases daubed with the words "cultural united front" by two unidentified attackers, the museum said.

The slogan is a critical phrase used in Taiwan to refer to China's attempts to bring the island back into its fold through cultural influence.