The “Statue of Democracy” Project Officially Launched The "Statue of Democracy" project, brewed for a long time by overseas Chinese in the
United States, will be launched recently.
"Statue of Liberty," erecting on Liberty Island in the mouth of Hudson River near New York City," is the gift to the American people by the French people. She expresses the American people’s lofty ideals of democracy and freedom; she has become a symbol of the United States. In the magnificent democracy movement in 1989, a "Statue of Democracy" was erected in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, by which the students and citizens in Beijing and in China were greatly encouraged; she is the symbol of Chinese’s yearning for freedom and democracy.
Although the "Statue of Democracy" erected in Tiananmen Square was torn down, the people of insight and artists both at home and abroad have never given up their effort in re-erecting "Statue of Democracy." Around the twentieth anniversary of June 4th, US-based sculptor Chen Weiming produced a "Statue of Democracy" of 6.4-meter-high, which was on display on Capitol Hill. In around June 2011, this "Statue of Democracy" arrived in Hong Kong to participate in the June 4th commemoration, and settled in the Chinese University of Hong Kong since then.
In more than one hundred years, numerous Chinese people of high ideals, to achieve their great goal of realizing democracy in China, charged through fire and water, wave upon wave. Their goals have not been achieved and democracy has not taken root in China yet. However, Chinese people's struggle for democracy has never stopped. The purpose of setting up the "Statue of Democracy" project is to emulate what French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi did back in the nineteenth century and began to design and produce a "Statue of Democracy" of 32-meter-high, with the base totaled at 64 meters, in the United States. The day when Mainland China is democratized the Statue of Democracy" will be a gift to the Chinese people from American people and stand in the Tiananmen Square where previous "Statue of Democracy" stood.
Since democracy has take roots in Taiwan first and the democracy in Taiwan has become a beacon of democracy for the mainland. In the event that the mainland has not yet democratized when the "Statue of Democracy" project is finished, we hope that the "Statue of Democracy" be temporarily placed in Taiwan, preferably placed in Kinmen Island, nearest to the mainland.
French sculptor Bartholdi made the "Statue of Liberty" in ten years. In the decade, thousands of French and American people made their donations to this Statue. Every little helped a mickle, which accumulated the fund necessary for the realization of the French
people’s great desire. Our "Statue of Democracy" project is going to reproduce such greatness and glory. We are ready to set up a foundation joined by the dignitaries of both United States and China (including the leaders of 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy movement) to raise fund for the "democratic Goddess" project.
On the base of the "Statue of Liberty," engraved the poem of American poet Emma Lazarus:
"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
We believe that the "Statue of Democracy" will be erected in Beijing someday. At that moment, we will write our poem, proudly, for our great nation. As the sister of "Statue of Liberty," "Statue of Democracy” will shine the China, as well as the whole world.
The "Statue of Democracy" project preparation team December 24, 2011
