Penang orders removal of panda drawn by Chinese tourist on Chew Jetty mural

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The Chinese artist, who goes by Shen Shishi online, posing with the owner of the building where she painted a panda.

The Chinese artist, who goes by the name of Shen Shishi online, posing with the owner of the building where she painted a panda.

PHOTO: XIAOHONGSHU

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GEORGE TOWN – The Penang Island City Council has ordered the unauthorised mural at a building at Chew Jetty to be removed.

In a notice dated Nov 13, issued under the Local Government Act by the council’s Heritage Conservation Department, the building owner was instructed to erase and repaint the wall.

The mural made headlines after a video of a Chinese tourist, known as Shen Shishi, painting a picture of a panda on the mural went viral online.

She was accused of defacing the “Girl on Scooter” mural at Chew Jetty, a historic waterfront settlement built on stilts over the sea.

It was later clarified that the building owner had invited Ms Shen to add the small panda to the existing mural.

Chew Jetty is recognised as part of George Town’s Unesco World Heritage Site for its cultural and historical value.

Ms Shen was also believed to have painted similar panda figures at several other locations in Penang, including in Butterworth on the mainland.

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