Largest Santa Claus ice sculpture-world record
set by Chinese sculptors
HARBIN, China -- A snow sculpture of Santa Claus,
160 meters (525 ft) long and 24 meters (79 feet) high, complete
with flowing beard and hat, was created using 4,000 cubic
meters of artificial snow by the chinese sculptors, setting the world record for the Largest
Santa Claus ice sculpture. Photo:Organizers said they
had to artificially make snow for the Santa Claus sculpture.
Still, the sculpture has attracted thousands of tourists from
all over the country who want to enjoy a white Christmas despite
worries over the economic downturn. / Reuters photo
(enlarge
photo)
Its huge size and unseasonably warm temperatures
have made the job especially challenging, said Tang Guangjun,
one of the sculptors.
"It is even bigger and higher than last year's,
and more difficult. The weather swings between warm and cold,
so it becomes very wet and slippery on the ice. It is very
dangerous for us," he told Reuters Television.
Organizers also constructed a number of colorful
ice buildings in traditional Chinese style.
Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province on
the edge of Siberia, is one of China's coldest places. Winter
temperatures can drop to below minus 35 degrees Celsius (-
31 F).
Every year the city plays host to a world-renowned
ice festival. But the effects of global warming are taking
a toll as the snow and ice now melt more rapidly than in the
past.
An estimated 800,000 tourists from around
China are expected to visit the festival, which traditionally
runs from mid-December to early February.
Last year one of the highlights of the festival
was the unveiling of the world's tallest snow sculpture, "Romantic
Feelings," 35 meters (115 feet) tall and 162 meters (531.5
feet) long.
Father Christmas or "Shengdan laoren" (literally
"The Old Man of Christmas") is a name used in many English
speaking countries, for the gift-bringing figure of Christmas.
Although "Father Christmas" and "Santa Claus"
have for all practical purposes been merged, historically
the characters were different. Related
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sand sculpture of Santa Claus-world record set by Sudarsan
Patnaik