The town of Banzai, near the city of Zhangzhou, Fujian province, now has a brass statue of China's famous writer Lin Yutang, in Lin Yutang Park, near his former residence, people.com.cn has reported.

Lin was also a prominent linguist and inventor, who had an informal, but polished, writing style, in both Chinese and English, which made him one of the most influential writers of his generation. His compilations and translations of the Chinese classics were bestsellers in the West.

The 4.8-meter-tall statue, the largest of Lin, is the work of Professor Li Jinxian, a sculptor who took more than a year to complete the work, which is a vivid depiction of Lin, dressed in a gown and holding a pipe, facing a stream, with a contented and composed look to show the master's peace of mind and calm demeanor in life.

Li says that she read lots of Lin's books and stories about his childhood in his hometown, Banzai, where the peaceful, beautiful surroundings inspired him.

The park, is expected to eventually cost one billion yuan ($164 million) and consists of many buildings with a Lin Yutang element, including a book-shape library and a pipe-shape museum. Construction work is expected to be completed soon and to open to the public by the end of the year.

By Zhao Qian and Edited by Roger Bradshaw