BEIJING - A 9.5-meter bronze statue of Confucius that was unveiled on Jan 11 at the side of Tian'anmen Square was moved inside the National Museum of China on Thursday.

The statue will be displayed in a newly-built hall of sculpture at the museum along with other statues of celebrities, Beijing Evening News reported on Thursday.

Lu Zhangshen, dean of the museum, once said at the unveiling ceremony he believed the statue would become "another eye-catching landmark" along with the museum, the Forbidden City and the Great Hall of the People.

Bao Mingde, a researcher at the literature institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, hailed Thursday's move as "the right step to take".

Although Confucianism is an essential part of Chinese culture, it cannot sum up all the values and ideals that modern China represents and aspires for, Bao told China Daily.

Li Yao and Zhao Yinan

(China Daily 04/22/2011 page5)