圆明园文物现身台北车站?

圆明园十二生肖兽首与翠玉白菜不是应该呆在博物馆吗，怎么会来到台湾展出呢？不过这里你可要看仔细了：它们只是盐雕而已。本次艺术展举办地点在台北火车站，展品超过40件，包括传说中的翠玉白菜及圆明园12生肖中的虎首、鼠首与牛首的复制品等。展品透出的釉质光泽给人以真品的假象。台湾台盐生物科技公司为宣传企业形象，于去年7月份委托推出此次展出。

The exhibit at Taipei's main railway station is attracting many visitors. It features more than 40 pieces that include replicas of the fabled jade cabbage sculptures from the Forbidden City in Beijing and the heads of 12 Chinese zodiac animals once housed at the Old Summer Palace in the Chinese capital.

Mounted, encased in glass or back-lit, some of the works radiate a glaze-like shine that makes them look like the real deal.

The green and white cabbages on display were carved intricately enough and weigh enough to make them appear as if they are made of jade. Large glass cases also display the heads of tigers, rats and oxen, which are among the 12 animals that make up the traditional Chinese lunar year zodiac.

The sculptures are made from common table salt found in supermarkets. But first the salt has to be mixed with an adhesive and baked in a 120-degree Celsius oven before the mixture is poured into a mold to sit for 72 hours, and then subjected to a vacuum deaerator.

Artist Luo Kuang-wei says all sculptures are coated to resist water and humidity.

"We polymerized refined salt made by Taiyen Biotech and finished it with six layers of coatings on the surface. This way the sculptures are completely isolated so the salt won't melt from the moisture in the air. But of course, there is still a slight ionizing effect, especially in humid weather when small water droplets attach to the sculptures and crystallize. The way to preserve it is to wipe it with a dry cloth and apply baby oil to it."

Passersby at Taipei Main Station, like Andy Chen, who was looking for a souvenir for a foreign friend, were amazed by the delicate salt art.

"Taiwan people are recreating Chinese national treasures. It is very surprising to me how salt can be turned into sculptures. It is both traditional and innovative."　
　
One kilogram of salt sells for only half a new Taiwan dollar, or less than two U.S. cents, here, but after the salt is made into sculptures, the artistic value multiplies its value by a thousand times.

For example, an animal head takes approximately five kilograms of salt to make, but will cost 500 U.S. dollars, to buy.

Taiyen Biotech, a partly state-owned salt production firm, commissioned the artworks in July to spruce up its image. The company is selling the sculptures for as little as 200 U.S. dollars and up to as much as 7,500 U.S. dollars, in the crowded railway station ticket hall.

Chang Yue-chin, a local resident shows an interest in the items.

"I think I would buy a small one, because ordinary consumers still care about price, so we would choose something that's more affordable."

Henry Lau, President of Taiyen Biotech, talks about the significance of the exhibition.

"Salt is such a common thing that few people recognize its importance. And we would like to combine this material, which is the core business of our company, with traditional Chinese culture and the locals' sculpting skills to make such interesting products, these very innovative products, for the public. "　　

Only five sets of the animal heads have been made so far, because salt is highly erosive, and the molds will only last for five castings.

Lau says Taiyen Biotech plans to exhibit more salt replicas of ancient Chinese imperial art later this year on the mainland.

For China Now, I'm Xiao Hong.