Chinese fans of Michael Jackson pose for a group photo with the statue. Photo: Li Yuche/GT

A statue of US music legend Michael Jackson was unveiled at a business center of Beijing on Saturday. Hundreds of Chinese MJ fans, from those in their 50s to teens, joined the event to see the golden life-sized statue with their own eyes. 

The unveiling was organized by the Michael Jackson Chinese Fanclub to celebrate the late idol's 62nd birthday. The ceremony saw fans dance to the singer's famous singles, a speech by the chairman of the fans association, as well as the much anticipated grand finale, during which the sculpture was revealed by six fans during the ceremony. 

The statue, made using 3D printing technology, was crowd funded by Jackson fans in China. It is 1.8 meters tall and weighs 100 kilograms. 

The design of the statue was inspired by the official statue on the cover of Jackson's album History and the star's costume at a Romanian concert.

Though the US pop icon is gone, his music remains as a legacy that still inspires Chinese fans. Chinese fans at the event expressed their admiration for the star. 

"As a Maimi (Michael fan), I will always follow him, his music made me a confident person," said one fan in his early 20s. 

"Michael's music inspired me, I'm lucky that I was born in an age with Michael Jackson," said the main donor behind the sculpture. 

Fans across generations attended the unveiling ceremony. A person who took the photo of the statue told the Global Times on Saturday that she is 57 years old, while two teenage girls brought their school textbooks to the event.

Some fans had brought their young children to the event to introduce the pop icon to the next generation. 

At a time when political exchanges between China and the US have taken on a tense tone, the unveiling of the sculpture in Beijing epitomizes that cultural exchanges between the two countries still remain informative and friendly. 

One member of the association told the Global Times on Sunday that the statue will stay in Beijing for three months to offer Chinese fans the opportunity to pay tribute to the idol. 

Besides Beijing, four other statues of Jackson were revealed in four other cities at the same time, including Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province and Nanning, capital of South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

"We pay our respect in many ways to the artists who have made great contributions to human civilization, and making their statues is one method," Zhang Rui, head of the association said in a statement sent to the Global Times.

"This year marks the 25th anniversary of the release of Michael Jackson's album History. We set up a statue for Jackson in China, not only to offer a place for his fans to remember him, but also to commemorate his artistic achievements and spread his spirit of love and healing," Zhang added.

The fan club had previously set up statues of the star in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province and Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province.