Statue of Confucius erected near Tian'anmen Square

Xinhua, January 13, 2011

A bronze statue of Confucius has been unveiled near the Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing.

A bronze statue of Confucius has been unveiled near the Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing. [Photo: enorth.com.cn]

The statue, at the north gate of the China National Museum, which overlooks the Chang' an Avenue, is 9.5 meters tall, including the stone base. The statue shows the scholar, born more than 2,500 years ago, putting his palms together in front of his chest and looking into the distance.

"Confucius was seen as a saint by many dynasties in Chinese history," said Lu Zhangshen, curator of the museum, at a ceremony to unveil the statue on Tuesday.

"He is the symbol of traditional Chinese culture, with a far-reaching impact across the globe," he said.

The statue was built by Wu Weishan, 48, president of the Sculpture Institute of the Chinese Academy of Arts, and a member of Royal British Society of Sculptors. It took him about a year to finish the statue.

Wu has been making statues of famous historical persons since 1990. He started making statues of Confucius in 1994.

"In our social transformation period, we needed a cultural monument to pass down our traditional culture, which was represented by Confucius," said the long-haired artist.