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Instead of going the traditional route of writing up a boring 50 page dissertation for his final year at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China, student Bi Heng chose to build a realistic-looking 4-ton, $43,000 Transformer-inspired sculpture honoring legendary Chinese general Guan Yu. The giant robot stands 32 feet tall, and was assembled from the parts of an old Jiefang brand vehicle, a 25-year-old military service truck employed by the People’s Liberation Army.

Robo Guan Yu wields a dynastic-era weapon that makes for a nice juxtaposition with the post-Revolutionary scrap he’s assembled from. As for the real Guan Yu, he was a respected general at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and a key player in the civil war that ended it. Though his military exploits and valor have been pumped up to mythical standards over the years, he was apparently legitimately revered for his prowess at kungfu. Though Robo Guan Yu is unfortunately static, check out the accompanying promo video below to see the general’s latest moves.

Source: Popular Science.