DENMARK'S FAMED LITTLE MERMAID STATUE LEFT HER PERCH IN THE COPENHAGEN HARBOR THURSDAY AND STARTED A JOURNEY TO THE WORLD EXPO IN SHANGHAI, THE FIRST TRIP ABROAD IN HER 96 YEAR HISTORY. THE 5ft LANDMARK. WHICH HONORS THE MEMORY OF DANISH FAIRY TALE WRITER HANS CRISTIAN ANDERSEN, WAS LIFTED BY A CRANE AND LOWERED ONTO THE BACK OF A TRUCK AT A CEREMONY IN THE DANISH CAPITAL. THE EXACT TRAVEL ITINERARY IS BEING KEPT A SECRET FOR SECURITY REASONS, BUT THE STATUE IS SCHEDULED TO BE PLACED AS THE CENTERPIECE OF THE DANISH PAVILION ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE THE WORLD EXPO OPENS 1.MAY. THE TEMPORARY MOVE IS CONTROVERSIAL IN DENMARK, WHERE SOME CONSIDERED IT DISGRACEFUL TO SHIP TREASURE HALFWAY ACROSS THE GLOBE AS A PR TOOL. CRITICS SUGGESTED THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE SENT A COPY TO CHINA, AN IDEA DISMISSED BY CHRISTOPHER BO BRAMSEN, DANISH COMMISSIONER-GENERAL FOR EXPO 2010. 'WHY SEND A COPY WHEN YOU CAN SEND THE REAL THING?' HE TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IN A RECENT INTERVIEW. BRAMSEN JOINED COPENHAGEN MAYOR FRANK JENSEN AND OFFICIALS FROM THE DANISH GOVERNMENT AND THE CHINESE EMBASSY AT THE CEREMONY, WHICH FEATURED MUSIC AND DANCE PERFORMANCES BY DANISH AND CHINESE ARTISTS. A VIDEO INSTALLATION BY CHINESE ARTIST AI WEIWEI WILL REPLACE THE LITTLE MERMAID UNTIL THE STATUE RETURNS IN NOVEMBER. THE MULTIMEDIA ARTWORK WILL INCLUDE A LIVE BROADCAST OF THE STATUE IN SHANGHAI. CREATED BY DANISH SCULPTOR EDVARD ERIKSEN, THE FINISHED BRONZE IS DENMARK'S MOST POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTION. SHE WAS UNVEILED IN THE COPENHAGEN HARBOR IN AUGUST 1913 AND HAS NOT BEEN MOVED SINCE, EXCEPT TO UNDERGO REPAIRS AFTER A SERIES OF ATTACKS BY VANDALS. HER NATIONAL FAME GREW AFTER SHE WAS BEHEADED IN 1964. NO ARRESTS WERE EVER MADE. HOWEVER, A DANISH ARTISTS CLAIMED HE CUT OFF THE HEAD AND THREW IT INTO A COPENHAGEN LAKE. IT WAS NEVER FOUND AND A NEW ONE WAS CAST FROM THE ORIGINAL MOLD. IN ANDERSEN'S TALE, THE MERMAID IS A SEA KING'S DAUGHTER WHO FALLS IN LOVE WITH A PRINCE AND MUST WAIT 300 YEARS TO BECOME HUMAN.
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