A wax statue of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was unveiled to the public on Tuesday in an opening ceremony at the International Friendship Exhibition House in the Myohyangsan area near Huichon City.

The wax statue was made by Chinese artist and President of the ‘Great Men Wax Museum’, Zhang Molei, and was originally presented to North Korea in July of 2013 on behalf of China to emphasize the positive relationship between the two countries.

The Korea Central News Agency’s (KCNA) report of the statue’s unveiling described Kim Jong Il as being in “padded clothes” and standing “atop Mt. Paektu, encouraging service personnel and people of the DPRK advancing towards the final victory of the Juche revolution under the guidance of supreme leader Kim Jong Un.”

Present at the exhibition were Liu Hongchai, the Chinese Ambassador to North Korea, Zhang Molei and a North Korean delegation consisting of Kim Ki Nam, Yang Hyong Sop and Secretary of the Workers Party of Korea Choe Thae Bok.

Choe thanked Molei and the Chinese delegation for what he called, “an expression of profound reverence”, depicting Kim Jong Il “in such a manner that he looked in his lifetime.”

Molei, who has previously created wax sculptures of former North Korea President Kim Il Sung and his wife Kim Jong Suk, made a speech saying that Kim Jong Il was a “great statesman, thinker and military strategist.” He also added that the Chinese people will always remember his “contribution to the development of the friendly relations between the two peoples.”

The International Friendship Exhibition House contains gifts presented to North Korea from leaders and delegations around the world. The statue of Kim Jong Il now stands amongst a bear’s head presented by Nicolae Ceausescu, a crocodile skin suitcase from Fidel Castro and a bulletproof limousine presented by Joseph Stalin.