July 1 (UPI) -- A crowd gathered at New York Harbor welcomed "Little Lady Liberty," a 9-foot-tall bronze statue that is a perfect copy of the Statue of Liberty Wednesday morning.
The statue "Little Lady Liberty" will be celebrated at the port of New York together with its "Big Sister" for the Independence Day weekend July 1-5.
For the past decade, the statue has welcomed visitors to the Musée d'Arts and the Metier, the National Museum of Arts and Crafts in Paris. "Little Lady Liberty" arrived via ship after following the same sea route over a nine-day voyage the original took when it was dedicated in 1886.
The journey is meant to reflect the continued friendship between France and the United States.
The bronze statue is a small version of the original. It is one-sixteenth the size of the original Statue of Liberty and was even made of the same mortar mold as the original 1878 statue by Auguste Bartholdi.
After its run on Liberty Island, the statue will be taken to the residence of the French ambassador in Washington, D.C., in time for Bastille Day on July 14.
The 'Little Lady's' appearance comes as the original Statue of Liberty opens to visitors again, after more than a year of being shuttered amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visitor capacity will still be limited to 50% and tickets will have to be purchased in advance.
The arrival of CMA CGM NERVAL containership with "Little Lady Liberty" in New York was welcomed by a FDNY water cannon.
In attendance at the event were Gov. Phil Murphy, French Ambassador Philippe Etienne, CMA CGM/APL North America President Ed Aldridge and Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Chairman Kevin O'Toole.