Celebrating old arts in new forms

"This is a new art form of ice and snow innovation. Lately, I see more young people in their 20s and 30s in the class. With them, I hope our ice and snow art and culture will travel worldwide in the future," says Zhu.

At the Sichuan province booth, a 4-meter-tall steed made of about 1.5 tons of fondant also caught a lot of attention. Dubbed "Sugar King", its creator, Zhou Yi, is one of China's best fondant artists.

At the Cake International event in the United Kingdom in 2017, Zhou and his team won three gold and two bronze medals. It was the first time that a Chinese team had won any top awards in the competition. In 2018, he stood out among 100,000 international candidates and won two top Cake Masters Magazine Awards, which are aptly dubbed "The Cake Oscars" by many.

Zhou's creations often feature distinct Chinese cultural elements, blending local and Western fondant techniques. Owing much of his success to China's rich cultural heritage, Zhou hopes to share the beauty of Chinese culture with a wider global audience.

"It's fantastic and so meaningful to have such a global platform to showcase our work, crafts and culture. With these fondant cakes, I hope to bring the world closer to traditional Chinese culture, and help visitors from across the world understand our brilliant civilization," says Zhou.

Contact the writer at wangxin2@chinadaily.com.cn