From time to time, public sculptures astonish audiences across China.

Two sculptures at a Shaanxi Province university in Northwest China, for example, adopted the familiar faces of two university staff members, portrayed as goddesses in the artwork.

Another sculpture was said by its creator to promote "filial spirit": The two posturing pigs in Zhengzhou, Henan Province in central China, turned out also to be a facsimile of an obscene toy from a decade ago.

The headline-grabbing, fast-changing world of public art in China could clearly benefit from a little more professionalism and seriousness.

About 40 scholars, experts and entrepreneurs assembled for the Public Art Forum of the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong in Shanghai on January 6 and 7, hoping to achieve just that, by shedding a little more light upon the issues.

Although the study of public art started later in China than in the West, public art has sprouted up almost everywhere across the country in recent years.

Local governments and real estate entrepreneurs drive their art projects forward, with more and more public space becoming occupied with their sculptures, art installations, ingenious gardening and even architecture.

The Taipei-based Lead Jade Construction Company hosted art exhibitions in and around its temporary sales centers.

Since 2002, Lead Jade has been entering Taipei communities and interacting with residents to create collaborative art installations in shared public space.

An increasing number of artists and designers have been cooperating with NGOs while other organizations do art projects in urban and rural communities.