As part of  Visit Nepal’s new 2020 tourism campaign, the organization commissioned 108 large yeti statues designed by Ang Tsherin Sherpa to be painted by various artists and placed around the world to build interest in visiting the nation.  It may be a clever idea but many folks in Nepal have doubts about the concept and the vision of the mythical beast.

From the BBC:

“In folk tales, the yeti has been described as a big monkey-like creature,” Ram Kumar Pandey (author of several books about the yeti) tells the BBC. “However, the recent logo depicts it as a sumo wrestler. This does not at all match with the mythical character that has been described in many folk tales…”

“I did not make yeti’s sketch by reading any book,” (yeti statue designer Ang Tsherin Sherpa) explains. “On the basis of stories that I heard in my childhood, and having Lord Buddha at the back of my mind, I made the design.”

There was, however, at least one more practical reason behind his choice: Sherpa says he did not make it furry as depicted in yeti-related literature in order “to make it easier to paint”.