Click into more stories on: 10th Anniversary of HK's Return to China

Visitors look at a wax figure of the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and his Red Flag sedan at Kingglory Plaza in Luohu District, Shenzhen, yesterday. The exhibits will be presented to Hong Kong on Thursday as special gifts to mark the 10th anniversary of the city's return to the motherland. (Shenzhen daily)

A wax figure of the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and his famous Red Flag sedan attracted hundreds of locals upon arrival in Shenzhen yesterday, days before they will travel to Hong Kong.

The wax figure and sedan, which Deng used while reviewing troops and addressing the nation on the 35th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1984, are currently on display at Kingglory Plaza in Luohu. They will be presented as special gifts to Hong Kong to mark the 10th anniversary of its return to the motherland.

The gifts were previously housed at the National Museum of China in Beijing, from where they started their trip June 22. They will be moved to Hong Kong on Thursday and exhibited at Olympian City, Kowloon, according to Li Weijun, an employee of the museum.

"The wax figure is very significant to Hong Kong people because Deng had seen the photo of his wax figure when he was alive," Zhang Molei, curator of the Chinese Great People Wax Figure Museum.

"As we all know, Deng wanted to set foot on the soil of Hong Kong after its return to the motherland in 1997, but unfortunately he died in February, months before the handover of sovereignty," said Zhang.

"This year is the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return," said Zhang. "The arrival of the wax figure can help realize Deng's dream."

But Zhang said didn't know where the wax figure would be kept after the exhibition, as he hadn't received a reply from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government yet.

He said the place should be a very solemn venue.

The wax figure was made in 1993 by famed sculptors including Er Baorui. It took eight months to complete.

Wang Zhibin, a retired worker from Northeast China's Jilin Province, said he felt excited after seeing the wax figure and Red Flag sedan, which was made by the First Automobile Works in Changchun, capital city of Jilin.

Editor: Yan