1st LD-Writethru: China-donated statue of Karl Marx unveiled in Germany's Trier

TRIER, Germany, May 5 (Xinhua) -- 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. Enditem