Goddess of Democracy (Tiananmen, 1989)
민주의 여신상 (톈안먼, 1989)
An approximately ten-metre sculpture erected in Tiananmen Square on 30 May 1989. Art students placed it facing Mao Zedong’s portrait. It became an international symbol of the protests and was destroyed when the army took the square on 4 June. The original should be distinguished from later replicas and memorials.
In depth
Construction
As the prolonged occupation lost participants, students sought a powerful visual focus to rebuild solidarity. Constructed from temporary materials, the sculpture drew crowds and international media.
Interpretation
Often compared with the Statue of Liberty, it also reflected Chinese art-school practices and practical conditions. Such resemblance is not evidence that foreign governments directed the movement. Its position facing Mao’s portrait challenged the party’s symbolic authority.
Destruction and memory
The original was destroyed on 4 June. Later replicas became instruments of remembrance overseas and in Hong Kong. Their subsequent histories are distinct from the original’s brief existence in the square.