International sculpture festival opens in Pingyao

The opening ceremony for the 2nd Sculpture Projects Ping Yao takes place in the Ancient City of Pingyao on July 5. The event will last until July 28. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

The 2nd Sculpture Projects Ping Yao, an annual international sculpture festival in Pingyao county in Shanxi province, opened on July 5 and runs to July 28. 

With its theme of "Inbetween", the festival aims to evoke people's memories of ancient Chinese wisdom while making them aware of the huge differences between modernity and tradition. 

The event was organized by the Austrian Mobius Art Foundation and the Sanpin Art Museum. It has outdoor and indoor exhibition areas in the Ancient City of Pingyao and at diesel engine factor, featuring more than 600 sculptures by over 50 artists from home and abroad. 

Compared with last year, this year's festival is also paying attention to the development of young sculptors with a new section themed around promoting international youth sculpture and an associated art exhibition to be held in the local Shuanglin Temple, which is known for its ancient and unique painted sculptures. 

A lot of activities, including an international academic forum and a sculpture fair, are ongoing during the festival. 

In recent years, more international cultural events -- such as the Pingyao International Photography Festival, the Pingyao International Film Festival and the Pingyao International Sculpture Festival -- have been held in Pingyao, making the ancient UNESCO World Heritage Site known globally. 

Taking advantage of these international events, the county has expanded it tourist sector. In 2018, 15.48 million tourists visited Pingyao, contributing 18.08 billion yuan ($2.63 billion) to local tourism revenue.