Chinese artists to create 300-meter-long snow sculpture

HARBIN -- Chinese artists plan to create a snow sculpture that is nearly 300 meters long at a snow art expo in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province in December.

The sculpture will consist of three parts. The main portion will depict a girl opening her arms, with an arm span of 40 meters, and the sculpture will be 35 meters tall. If completed, it will be the biggest snow sculpture ever created at the expo.

"It will be the longest snow sculpture in the expo's history," said Zhang Ningge, a snow sculpture artist. "Bringing the three parts together as a whole will be difficult."

China will host the 2022 Winter Olympics, and the theme of the sculpture will reflect that, Zhang said.

"Under the radiance of the five rings, the girl opens her arms, and her 'wings' represent the people's dreams," Zhang said.

The International Snow Sculpture Art Expo has been held annually in Harbin, Heilongjiang's capital, since 1989. Each year, top artists from around the world take part in snow sculpture competitions held in the city.

For Zhang and his team, the challenge is not just the length of the sculpture, but also the details. Their design includes pine trees and snow mountains carved in the sculpture, and a slide is also planned for the top.

"It will definitely shock people's minds," Zhang said.