Ice-sculptors from the northeastern province of Heilongjiang bring frosty fun to Macao, and Rebecca Lo chills out.

Those of us living in subtropical climes can only dream of a winter wonderland. For folks in Northeastern China, half of their year is covered in snow. It's natural that some artists have chosen to pursue their creativity using ice as a medium for expression.

In Heilongjiang province, ice sculptors begin learning their art and craft in high school. "Many sculptors practice ice sculpting using blocks obtained from rivers during winter in Harbin," says Bai Wei, general manager of Heilongjiang Provincial Ice and Snow Art Development. "A few of our sculptors majored in fine arts at Harbin Normal University or they graduated from Harbin Institute of Technology."

A handpicked team from the organization was selected to design showpieces for the second annual Ice World in Macao, held once again at The Venetian.

Officiated by Edward Tracy, president and chief executive officer of Sands China on May 18, the opening celebrations were attended by dignitaries including Bai, Macao Government Tourist Office's Director Joao Manuel Costa Antunes, and Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macao's Department of Culture and Education's Deputy Director-general Zhang Xiaoguang.

Covering 1,670 square meters, the indoor ice exhibition hovers at a nippy -8 C and includes 10 zones, each with its own theme. New to The Venetian this year is a zone dedicated to iconic landmarks around Asia and a serpentine double-dragon slide. Two ice sculptures designed by winners of a local Macao competition were executed by Heilongjiang ice masters and included in the exhibition.

"This year, we brought along our best 50 ice sculpture masters to Macao," says Bai. "We have some new features, such as integrating a lot of Macanese and international culture into our design concepts. Since it is the year of the dragon, we have some pieces specially designed for this theme. Visitors can also interact with a number of the displays - for example, in the Musical Hall and Gallery, we have an ice piano with a real piano inside."

Every ice sculpture was made on site. "One of my favorites is Tian'anmen," notes Bai. "It is very spectacular, and also represents Chinese culture."

"We have been in the ice-carving exhibition industry for more than 20 years," Bai says proudly. "Our ice sculpture was first shown in Guangzhou and Yunnan, and then we expanded to Southeast Asia. Now we exhibit all over the world, including Israel and Canada. We have showed in the United States for the past 10 consecutive years.

"Ice-sculpture exhibitions in China are usually larger in scale, with pieces finer in detail and which showcase our national culture," he says.

"To be successful, ice carvers need to have good understanding of ice, be enthusiastic about ice sculpting and willing to practice under the guidance of experienced ice carving masters."

Contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 07/15/2012 page15)