Chinese Trump wax statue makers face losses amid coronavirus
Specialised for Trump's statues
Shanghai Maiyi Arts, a wax statue museum in Shanghai, specialises wax statues of political figures, especially of the US President Donald Trump.
Orders halted
The demand for the centre's wax replicas of Donald Trump should have been off the charts with the upcoming US Presidential elections, scheduled in November. However, the spread of the coronavirus has halted new orders and stalled overseas travel, including to and from the United States
Temporary shutdown
The halt came as majority of amusement parks, tourists spots, houses of famous people and other such popular sites are temporarily closed. "Since they can't resume work, we can't get new orders," said Zeng Sheng, manager of the museum.
A makeshift museum
Founded in 2012 and located in the outskirts of Shanghai, about an hour's drive from the city centre, its exhibition hall also doubles as makeshift museum, where guests can pose next to replicas of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, martial arts star Jackie Chan, and others.
Double trouble
The museum's orders got hit twice this year, first in China, when factories and tourist sites closed, and then overseas. Business remains about two-thirds its normal size, as reported by officials.
Three-months long process
The company uses specialists to make a replica's hair and clothing. It can take three months to bring a figure to fruition, from start to finish.
Last year, the shop produced 16 Trump wax statues, six of which went abroad.
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