The lifelike statue of legendary general Vo Nguyen Giap has deeply moved visitors at an ongoing exhibit in Hanoi.

The exhibit, “Dien Bien Phu – General – Commander- in- Chief  Vo Nguyen Giap through artworks”, is running at Vietnam Military History Museum, 28A, Dien Bien Phu, Ba Dinh district, until May 10.

The exhibit is one of the few at the museum that has drawn long queues of visitors.

The highlight at the exhibit is a lifelike silicon statue of General Giap, which depicts the revered general working at his desk.

Many visitors are stunned and deeply moved at the vividness and lifelikeness of the statue, as all his facial features and general air are successfully depicted.

“I worked on the statue for around six months with all my admiration and reverence for the late general. The toughest thing is that I had never met him in person, so I had to learn more about him through his family members, aides and photographers who had taken photos of him,” shared sculptor Tran Van Thuc.

Vo Nguyen Giap, the first four-star general and the former commander-in-chief of the Vietnam army, died in October last year in Hanoi, more than a month after he celebrated his 103rd birthday.

Born in 1911 in Quang Binh Province in the central region of Vietnam, he started his career as a history teacher before joining the army to become the legendary general who led the Vietnam Army to defeat the French and US invaders in 1954 and 1975 respectively.

He directly commanded major operations including Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and Ho Chi Minh in 1975.

General Giap served as Deputy Prime Minister and National Defense Minister since national reunification in 1975 until 1980. From 1981-1991, he was Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

His funeral, the largest in Vietnam for decades, drew thousands of locals who queued for several hours to pay tribute to the general. People are still visiting his resting place in Quang Binh province so far.