"It was very sad to see the on the video the people do what they did," he said."It's a nice addition to the neighbourhood. I don't understand why people would do things like that."
The BIA says these installations cost $200,000, funded through government grants as part of a revitalization effort. There are at least eight groups of statues placed along Somerset Street between Bronson Avenue and Preston Street. They range from iconic Chinese pandas to popular characters drawing from Asian culture.
Several art pieces installed in Ottawa's Chinatown neighbourhood have been vandalized, BIA director Yukang Li says. As Li waits to hear from police, he's reaching out to the public for help, hoping the stolen artwork is returned and the remaining pieces won't be damaged further. "I feel very frustrated, not for myself but for the community," he said."I hope people respect this community, respect our culture and respect the effort we have been making to revitalize this community and beautify our street."