Taiwan: Van Gogh work recreated in 30,000 bottle tops

The end result is a more colourful version of the Dutch artist's famous work

Pupils at a secondary school in Taiwan have recreated Van Gogh's The Starry Night using 30,000 multi-coloured bottle tops.

It took a class of students at Xiaoming Girls school in Taichung City just 50 minutes to complete the piece, working in small groups to form panels which were then joined together, Taiwan's ET Today website reports. The finished product measures almost 20 sq m (215 sq ft) in size. Teacher Wu Qingchuan says he wanted the girls to learn about recycling and teamwork, noting that the exercise encouraged more introverted pupils to talk to each other to make sure all their panels matched up correctly.

The class began collecting lids in the summer, but it wasn't an easy task. "I didn't expect students to drink so little," Mr Wu tells the website. "They asked their parents for help, and even their friends and extended family," he says, adding that local people joined in to help gather and clean the bottle tops. Those who took part were proud of the finished product, with one girl telling China Southeast TV: "For everybody to have made a piece of art out of a number of bottle caps, I think is truly amazing."

The students worked in groups to create sections of the scene

Next story: Russian mining region rewards weight loss with coal

Use #NewsfromElsewhere to stay up-to-date with our reports via Twitter.