China-donated statue of Karl Marx unveiled in Germany's Trier

Guests unveil the Karl Marx statue during the unveiling ceremony of the Karl Marx statue in Trier, Germany, on May 5, 2018. A China-donated statue of German philosopher Karl Marx was unveiled on Saturday in his birth town on the 200th anniversary of his birth. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

TRIER, Germany, May 5 -- A China-donated statue of German philosopher Karl Marx was unveiled in his hometown Trier Saturday on the 200th anniversary of his birth.

The bronze figure portrays a middle-aged Marx in walking, with a book in his left hand, together with his iconic beard. It is situated in proximity to Porta Nigra, a large Roman city gate that's landmark of Trier, one of Germany's oldest cities.

Weighing 2.3 metric tons, the bronze figure was mounted in front of a former Marx family home.

The statue's height, 5.5 meters, was made to coincide with his birthday on May 5, said its creator Wu Weishan, a Chinese artist.

Marx, son of a Jewish lawyer, spent 17 years in Trier, southwestern Germany, before becoming a great thinker.

"Marx's ideas are of great value to the world, and in particular had far-reaching influence on China," Guo Weimin, deputy director of the State Council Information Office of China, said in a speech shortly before the statue's debut.

Malu Dreyer, the governor of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, in which Trier is located, called the statue from China "a pillar and a bridge for our partnership".

Hundreds of people, including local residents, tourists and Chinese guests, took part in the debut, the climax of a series of events in Trier to commemorate Marx.