A monumental sculpture of Mongolian hero Genghis Khan was unveiled Saturday in the heart of London.

The bronze statue rises to five meters from hoof to helmet, and will stand next to the iconic Marble Arch on the busy Oxford Street for half a year.

Against the backdrop of blue sky and green park, it featured the leader in medieval amour lost in contemplation on horseback.

The sculpture weighs 2,714 kilograms without the plinth, and took the Russian artist Dashi Namdakov two years to complete.

When asked by Xinhua as why they chose to erect such a statue there, Paul Green, President of the Halcyon Gallery said, "London is an international city. This statue is imposing and will create dialogues from visitors, help them understand Asian culture."

Namdakov was born in 1967 in Ukurik, a village on the borders of China and Russia. He was awarded the title of Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Fine Arts in 2011.

Namdakov likes to work in bronze to reflect ancient Siberian and central Asian cultures. His works can be found in the public collections in Moscow, New York as well as Guangzhou.

The Halcyon Gallery will have an exhibition of Namdakov from May 5 to July 7, entitled A Nomad's Universe.

Originally named as Temujin, Genghis Khan was born around 850 years ago and founder of China's Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The Mongol Empire he founded became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death.

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