An employee puts a final touch on a snow sculpture of the traditional God of Longevity at Longhua Tourism City in Shanghai Thursday. An ice and snow sculpture exhibition will open at the tourism site this weekend. (Photo: Shanghai Daily) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Feb. 10 -- There will be snow in Shanghai this Sunday, and it is expected to stay around until the end of May.     

    An ice and snow sculpture exhibition will open at the Longhua Tourism City in Xuhui District this weekend - the first time snow sculptures have been put on show in the city - organizers said yesterday.     

    Nearly 100 works are going to be displayed in the 3,000-square-meter hall, said the Shanghai Shengjing Culture Broadcasting Co Ltd. ¡¡

    The snow sculptures mainly depict daily life in the countryside in northeastern China, and characters from ancient Chinese myths who represent luck and longevity. The ice sculptures, however, depict many different images, including Venus de Milo and ancient Roman warriors.     

    The most vivid piece on display is a 2.5-meter-tall snow sculpture called "Buddha Maitreya With Five Children," said exhibition manager Xing Xuefeng.     

    "The expression of the Buddha and the children are depicted to the last detail," he said. "The whole piece conveys happiness and prosperity, which is fitting for the occasion of the Spring Festival."     

    Xing said the company started to prepare the snow sculptures last September.     

    "It is very hard to adjust the man-made snow to the suitable viscosity," he said. Salt was finally added to make the snow sticky enough to work with.     

    "Making snow sculptures is much harder than working with ice," he added. "Because snow sculptures put much emphasis on details, while ice ones mainly depend on light effects."     

    Hu Ping, a snow sculptor from Jilin Province, is now busy working on a piece named "Every Generation Has Surplus Wealth." With 10 years of experience behind him, Hu says he can finish the one-meter-tall work in two days.     

    "Although making snow sculptures is a technical work, I have become very used to it," said Hu.     

    Tickets to the show cost 60 yuan (7.50 U.S. dollars) each, and visitors are reminded to dress warmly.

    (Source: Shanghai Daily)