‘Ultraman-like’ stone carver claims Han Dynasty figurines inspired sculpture

A man from Southwest China's Sichuan Province carved a stone statue — initially resembling the character Ultraman, drawing netizens to warn of potential copyright infringement. The man later claimed his work was inspired by Han Dynasty pottery figurines. Local authorities stated that while the carving is not within protected heritage areas, it requires formal approval procedures.

A blogger surnamed Zhou from Anyue county in Sichuan Province recently posted a video introducing his project to hand-carve a 2.8-meter seated statue inside a 3.5-meter-deep grotto he excavated himself in a local cliff face, according to the Paper.

He documented the process with 31 photos shared on a video platform. Zhou identified himself as a beginner, described the statue as simple in structure, and noted that it took two months to complete at a cost of around 3,000 yuan ($420).

Explaining his motivation, Zhou said he chose to create the stone carving because he believed that the traces left by ordinary people often disappear within decades, while stone carvings can endure for hundreds or even thousands of years. "I wanted to leave a lasting mark," he said.

His initial design — a figure bearing a startling resemblance to Ultraman — prompted copyright concerns from netizens, according to the report.

Zhou later made significant modifications to the statue, referencing Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220) pottery figurines from Nanchong Museum in Sichuan Province, and clarified that the creation was "inspired by Han Dynasty ceramic sculptures," the Paper reported.

"It can't be sculpted as Ultraman, and this isn't Ultraman," Zhou said.

An official from the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Anyue County confirmed authorities had inspected the site, noting the carving is not within a protected heritage area, according to the report. However, whether such carvings are permitted depends on land use regulations, a matter requiring consultation with relevant departments, the official noted.

Local government official stated "According to regulations, no stone carvings can be made arbitrarily," adding that formal approval procedures must be followed.