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Harbin International Snow Sculpture Expo |
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Tuesday, 01 January 2008 |
International Snow Sculpture Expo
Artists in northeast China's city of Harbin are nearing completion of tallest snow sculpture ever seen in the city. It's all in preparation for this year's International Snow Sculpture Expo. The huge sculpture, named "Romantic Feelings", is 35 meters tall and 162 meters long. Its sculptors say the sculpture surpasses all previous records for festival sculptures in the city.
Ma Mingge, chief designer of sculpture, said, "The sculpture features a French lady. She holds a glass of Champagne in one hand. In her left hand are nine roses to symbolize the everlasting friendship between China and France."
Ma also said there will be snow replicas of famous paintings and sculptures by French artists on the base. Artists started shaping over 30,000 cubic metres of snow in early December. They expect to finish the work in January.
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The sculpture is one in several to be showcased during Harbin's famous International Snow Sculpture Art Expo. It's an event that attracts thousands of visitors each year. Visitors seem to concur the sculptures have improved with each year and are becoming more innovative.
 The sculpture is one in several to be showcased during Harbin's famous International Snow Sculpture Art Expo. It's an event that attracts thousands of visitors each year. Visitors seem to concur the sculptures have improved with each year and are becoming more innovative.
In a race against time, workers chipped and chiselled in sub-zero temperatures to complete the 20th International Snow Sculpture Art Expo for its December opening. (it opened on 20th)
The snow is natural, but has been tightly compressed to withstand heavy blows from sculptors’ shovels, hatchets and saws. Cubes of treated snow - up to 15ft square - are then placed together and hewn to create an infinite number of jaw-dropping pieces.
 "Snow sculpture is different from other form of art. It's temporary. If I cannot get pictures of it then it disappears", said Ma, an amateur photographer who came to see the sculptures.
Visitors believe the sculptures have improved each year and were becoming more innovative.
"The snow sculptures are more stylish than those of past years. It's emotional. I felt very happy once I came in. I'm very happy to enjoy them which were created by the sculptors' hard work," said a lady who called herself "Xing."
Creations on show include a European church with a towering spire, an ornate Indian temple and a kids’ section with cute snowmen that would melt the heart of any parent. But the spine-tingling exhibition certainly couldn’t be dubbed a hot-ticket.
At this time of year a freezing wind from Siberia ensures temperatures in Harbin hover between a teeth-chattering minus 38 and minus 10 degreesC. Despite the cold, 600 participants from 40 countries flock to the chilly corner of China for the annual event.
And thousands of visitors don their winter woollies to marvel at the snow show which quite literally takes your breath away. At night the pieces are lit by coloured lasers and spotlights - adding to each work’s wow-factor.
In previous years near-lifesize replicas of St Paul’s Cathedral, the Great Wall of China and Niagara Falls have been sculpted.
The city of Harbin, the biggest city in northeast China, hosts the annual snow expo every January. The Harbin festival is one of the world’s four largest ice and snow festivals, along with Japan’s Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada’s Quebec City Winter Carnival, and Norway’s Ski Festival.
If it’s true that a picture is worth a thousand words, then just scroll down to see some of the marvelous sculptures prepared for this years Expo.
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