A peculiar wooden structure that appeared out of the blue along one of Hong Kong’s most popular hiking trails drew fierce criticism from hikers and sparked speculation that it might have been part of an inauspicious feng shui setting.

The 1.7 meter (5 feet 7 inches) tall structure, which resembled the shape of a bird’s claw and was carved with mysterious symbols, was spotted by hikers over the weekend on Shek O’s Dragon’s Back. It sat on a piece of empty land 50 meters away from the peak, encircled by 25 wooden posts, each 1 meter tall. The structure, which had a shiny coating, was attached to a metal base on the ground.

Hikers discovered the “claw” on Saturday and pictures of it went viral on the internet. Many criticized the piece for being irrelevant and destroying the natural beauty of the area, urging the government to remove it. Some netizens questioned how it could be part of a feng shui setting, saying that it looked evil. “How is it possibly a good thing when you have a claw growing out of your back?” one netizen wrote.

When Apple Daily visited the site on Monday morning, the structure had been dismounted and placed to one side under a green tarpaulin. Access to the site was blocked, with signage warning visitors not to enter. It was understood that seven workers hiked up the hill to remove the claw the same morning.

The eerie structure could have been dangerous to hikers if it fell, said Chung Kin-man, a veteran mountaineer and the first Hongkonger to conquer Everest. Although the claw hadn’t yet caused any damage to the environment, it had ruined the natural scenery, he said.

Some hikers speculated whether the claw could be part of a dragon sculpture, which was divided into several parts, each having appeared in various hiking hotspots in the past. However, other dragon structures found in other hiking spots were intact, rather than being divided into several pieces, Apple Daily found.

The mystery was finally resolved on Monday evening when officials from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department — which oversees Hong Kong’s country parks — owned up in an online post to claim responsibility for the claw. The work, a part of the department’s Country Parks Education Programmes, was “an experiment” made out of wood from trees damaged during typhoons, and it was removed after officials recognized the sculpture’s mismatch with its surroundings.

“It will not appear here ever again because we [now] know the natural scenery of the Dragon’s Back is the greatest attraction,” the post said.

The Dragon’s Back is one of Hongkongers’ favorite trails, having been named the best urban hike in Asia by Time magazine featuring in international media, including CNN and Lonely Planet. The trail is around 8.5 kilometers (5.3 miles) long and takes about four hours to complete.

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