This year's US Independence Day celebrations were extra special due to the arrival of a second, smaller Statue of Liberty from France. This one, nicknamed "Little Sister", was displayed on Ellis Island - across the water from the original Statue of Liberty, which sits on Liberty Island—from July 1 through 5, 2021. It then was moved to the French Embassy in Washington, DC, where it will remain until 2031.
The 9.3-foot-tall, 1000-pound statue is about one-sixteenth the size of the original Statue of Liberty. It was crafted in 2009 from the 3-D scan of the model of the original, which was created by sculptor Frederic-Auguste Barthold in the late 1 800s. Before being shipped to the US, "Little Sister" spent ten years welcoming visitors in Paris. "This statue symbolizes the virtues of freedom and integration (融合)," the sculptor said. "These two values forever unite France and the United States."
The original Statue of Liberty was also designed to celebrate France-American friendship. The idea was first proposed in 1865 by French historian Edouard de Laboulaye. However, it was not until 1875 that US President and former Civil War general Ulysses Grant agreed to the monument. The two nations decided that France would pay the cost of building the statue while America would fund the $250,000 pedestal (底座) upon which she would stand. It took Barthold and his team, which included Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, builder of Paris's Eiffel tower, ten years to complete the masterpiece.
Today the magnificent monument is one of New York City's most popular tourist attractions, drawing more than 4 million visitors annually. The arrival of its "Little Sister" is sure to attract more fans in Washington, DC.