International Snow Sculpture championships attract Chinese artists

World Today

Chinese artists took top honors in last year’s International Snow Sculpture championships in the U.S. This year, more Chinese sculptors have joined the competition, but will China be able to reclaim the top prize?

CGTN’s Hendrik Sybrandy tells us more about this year’s team.

The theme of the Chinese team’s sculpture this year was “Thinker.” It depicts an orangutan posing thoughtfully with an apple (representing wisdom in the Bible, gravity in Newton’s Law and technology today). The artists wanted to convey that thinking is a necessary part of evolution.

The Chinese team competed in the International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, Colorado for five long days. In the event’s 28th year, 16 teams of sculptors turned snow blocks weighing 23,000 kilos into stunning works of art.

The rules of the competition are pretty strict. Artists aren’t allowed any power tools, internal support structures or colorants. Only small power tools and shovels are allowed. Vegetable peelers and chicken wire are also permitted. The sculptors came from all over the world. 

Another Chinese team took home the top prize last year, finishing in first place with their entry, “Mermaid”. Not every sculpture manages to survive the week. Temperatures can vary wildly.

Some 40,000 spectators turned out this year to watch the sculptures take shape, and admire the skilled artists who built them. In the end, Mongolia came out on top., and the Chinese team took second place.