Master sculptor Lei Yixin of China was chosen yesterday to carve the image of Martin Luther King Jr. for a memorial to be built on the National Mall in Washington DC: Chinese sculptor to carve King memorial.

That's a pretty amazing responsibility, one that Lei does not take lightly: "When I was assigned to the task, I felt tremendous pressure and responsibility... This is the most important project I have ever had." According to officials, he will carve King's likeness in the memorial's 28-foot granite "Stone of Hope." The project is expected to be completed in 2008.