Chinese Sculptor Makes Trump Buddha Statues; Orders Pour In

What began as a fun project for Chinese furniture maker Hong Jinshi six months ago is now a successful side-gig. When Hong made a pint-sized statue of former U.S. President Donald Trump meditating in a Buddhist pose, little did he know it would turn so popular that orders would pour in.

Today, Hong has set up a workshop in the town of Dehua in Fujian province to make an inaugural batch of 250 Trump Buddha statues to meet orders from China and abroad, reports Reuters.

The statue has Trump with his legs crossed, hands folded in his laps, thumbs pointing outwards, signifying meditation and contemplation.

Hong's inspiration: The potential contrast between Buddhism and Trump's sharp outbursts. “Our tradition is that a person who is so old and successful ... should start to enjoy his old age and be more relaxed, but he was still tormented and fretting over various desires and uncertainties,” Hong said.

The statues, which take 10 days to create, cost 999 yuan ($152.22) for a 6-cm (6.3-inch) version and 20,000 yuan ($3,043) for a 46-cm model. Hong was helped by his sculptor friend in chiseling out the statues.

Hong says the sales would be higher if not for the “fake, copycat and lower quality” imitations that have flooded the market for cheaper prices.

“Meditation is a look within, where you let go, and stop fighting for fame and fortune. In Trump’s current state, to be honest, he is well-suited to do some meditation in this way,” says Hong, who wouldn't mind presenting one of these sculptors to Trump to help him “to cheer up a bit.”

Chinese state-run media Global Times had earlier reported about the Trump Buddha statues which were trending on an online shopping platform with the slogan "Make your company great again!"

The seller had then told the news outlet they had already sold “dozens” of the 100 statues manufactured so far.

The report also quoted a buyer who said he brought it for fun. "Trump can also be regarded as a representative of an era and extreme egoism. Now the era has passed but I want the statue to remind me: Don't be too Trump," the buyer said.