Topped by a nine-foot stone Oriental Pegasus, a unique 116-foot Japanese Naval Monument will soon be erected in Shanghai, the "Mainichi Shimbun" reported yesterday.
The memorial will be dedicated to Japanese Navy officers and: men who lost their lives in fighting in Shanghai and its vicinity.
According to Chinese lore, the Oriental Pegasus was an imaginary animal that was seen prior to the appearance of a saint. The Pegasus, unlike the winged-horse in Greek mythology, resembled a deer, had the tail of an ox, hoofs of a horse, a five-coloured mane, a yellow abdomen and "fleshy horns. According to legend, it did not trample on green grass or eat living animals.
The monument will be built in Kuangehung Road in Chapei and is to be completed in March. That area was the scene of many battles between J und a tina Naval forces and the a 22,400 square foot plot, elevated to
foot base tower. The base tower will stand on a 22-foot high base building.
Supervising the work will be Mr. Jitsuzo Himeji, a Japanese sculptor who arrived in Shanghai some weeks ago to make a preliminary survey of the work. The Oriental Pegasus, ver, will be carved by Chinese, the newspaper stated.
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