On Friday, a statue created by Wu of Lei Feng, the hero soldier, was unveiled at the bustling Wangfujing shopping street, along the Chang'an Avenue. The young man was made a national icon in the 1960s because of his virtuous attitude and spirit of self-sacrifice. Following his death at just 22 years old, Chairman Mao Zedong called on the nation to learn from his sense of duty and since then, March 5 has been marked as "Learn From Lei Feng Day".

The sculpture by Wu depicts the soldier walking and smiling in the pleasant spring breeze. Its installation in Wangfujing also symbolizes the beginning of a long-term collaboration between the National Art Museum of China and Dongcheng district, which administers Wangfujing, to place more statues of heroic figures in public places.

Wu initiated a program five years ago to create statues of role models, like Lei Feng, who have made a contribution to the People's Republic of China. He and dozens of young sculptors have produced more than 50 such works. Luminaries in different areas, such as teachers, scientists and factory workers, have been invited to the National Art Museum of China to sit for portraiture, and the process is sometimes open to the public. Exhibitions of these statues have toured nationwide, to schools and communities.

"One or two hundred years later, people will learn about our time, not only from books, but also from these sculptures," Wu says. "They will feel the character of these representative figures, the hard work they have done and the sacrifices they have made for this country and its people."

He said at the recent meeting of the CPPCC that the program should be accessible to more people via exhibitions and online, and the works should be toured to, or installed in, more public spaces, so that the deeds and spirit of those depicted will be passed on.

Contact the writer at linqi@chinadaily.com.cn