fake Sphinx

 
The controversial replica of Great Sphinx in a North China theme park was demolished after the Egyptian government filed a complaint with UNESCO over the statue two years ago.

Crews in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province began dismantling the fake monument on April 2. Photos show a severed Sphinx head being surrounded by walls of sheet metal and rebar. 

Built in 2014, the Hebei sphinx measured 80 meters long and 30 meters tall, almost as large as the original. 

Though a popular local tourist attraction, Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities soon complained to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which in a statement claimed the reproduction "harms the cultural heritage of Egypt."

A theme park employee has since apologized for any misunderstanding, Xinhua reported.