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.

(China Daily July 28, 2003)