Two statues of a naked Buddha were destroyed on Sunday night by their maker in Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province.

The two Buddha figures — one climbing a wall, the other watching — were created by a hotpot restaurant owner, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The owner decided to destroy the sculptures after photos of them generated controversy online. Some netizens said that the statues were disrespectful.

The local government said it was not involved in the matter and the statues were simply part of a commercial activity, the report said.