The capital of Northeast China's Jilin Province will host the country's largest ever urban sculpture conference between August 2 and September 8.

More than 500 artists from over 80 countries and regions - including Canada and Singapore - have already confirmed they will participate.

"The conference will provide a platform for artists to demonstrate their artistic talents and promote the development of urban sculpture art," said Changchun Vice-Mayor Wang Xuezhan.

Wang said the conference, the fifth such event in Changchun, will have three major parts - an international sculpture symposium, sculpture demonstrations and the exhibition of original sculpture maquettes.

"A city is a gigantic piece of art work which combines planning, architecture, gardens, squares, streets and sculpture. Sculpture is the most striking and crucial of these," said Liu Tianfu, vice-director of the Changchun Guidance Committee for Urban Sculpture Construction.

"Urban sculpture reveals a city's civilization and its soul. It is a specific expression of local people's characteristics," Liu said.

The sculpture conference will help build a bridge between Changchun and the rest of the world, said Yin Linong, a senior official of the Changchun government.

A 90-hectare World Sculpture Park, costing 450 million yuan (US$54 million) is under construction as part of the conference preparations.

Most of the sculptures created by the artists at the previous sculpture symposiums have been moved to the park.

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