Cell phone 'Tower of Babel' highlights China e-waste problem

A Chinese artist on Saturday unveiled a sculpture made of discarded mobile phones and shaped like a cell tower in a bid to highlight the problem of electronic waste.

The phones were rigged to a metal frame and synchronised so their screens would flash in various colours.

"The inspiration of my tower comes from the Tower of Babel in the Bible," artist Shen Bolun told AFP, referring to the origin story explaining why people speak different languages.

Displayed in a busy shopping mall in Beijing, the sculpture attracted scores of curious bystanders who stopped to take photos of the exhibit.

"I originally thought environmental protection is waste sorting, but I didn't realise cellphones could be recycled and used again," said primary school student Li Jiaxing, who was viewing the artwork with his mother.

"After seeing this tower, I decided to donate my old cellphone here to make use of its remaining value."