Americans have learned to love a holiday tradition imported from China.
Harbin is home to some of the world's most talented ice carvers and now these Chinese artisans spend a month in the U.S. creating a winter wonderland of ice sculptures at the Gaylord National resort, just outside the American capital city.
Our U.S. correspondent Priscilla Huff sees how they turn blocks of ice into a child's dream.
IN: (SOUND UP - BEEP! BEEP)
OUT: SOC
DUR: 3:13
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****
BEEP BEEP BEEP
TRACK
This winter wonderland starts with trucks
two trucks every day, traveling over 400 miles from Ohio to the American capital city
to deliver the 7 thousand blocks of ice
two million pounds in total
SOUND UP POWER SAW
TRACK
to create each 400-pound ice block it takes 45 gallons - or more than 170 liters of water, frozen over three days.
Those blocks of ice are first sawed into a rough shape by 35 talented ice carvers flown in from Harbin, China.
Lui Hai Long is one of the carvers
TAKE BITE 1
(Mandarin)
To become a really good carver, you need some art foundation. You need to be able ot draw and that's the foundation to become a carver, so he actually studying drawing for a few years before he started carving.
TRACK
Instead of pencils and paper, now His tools include the power saw,
chip chip chip
TRACK
chisels and even cups of hot water to smooth the edges. as he works in a space chilled to just nine degrees farenheit,
that's minus 13 degrees celcius
SOUND UP
We want to capture the whimsey of it
TRACK
Travis George is the ART DIRECTOR
He takes two thick books full of drawings to transform the space into a spectacle.
This years theme is Rudolph the red nosed reindeer
a television special that first aired in 1964
and remains a holiday classic.
Travis George Says the ice carvers from Harbin make the abominable snowman and the island of misfit toys come to life.
TAKE CLIP -
I mean, We couldn't do it without them. They bring their artistry and their skill level and it's really, they make the exhibits shine, I mean really, and we do it very quickly, we do in about 35 days from start to finish.
TRACK
That includes building four slides over twenty feet tall
one of the favorite activities of the visitors to this attraction.
Liu Hai Long
Take BITE make kids happy
(MANDARIN)
Whenever he sees the children playing here very happily, he feels very satisfied and they feel they've done a successful job and that is their ultimate goal, to make the American kids to enjoy their time during their visit her.
And as they continue to carve, clean up is easy says Art Director Travis George.
TAKE BITE
"so we go through a lot of ice, as you can see on the ground, there's a lot of it that we haul out of here every day, but it's food grade too, so it melts and that's how we dispose of it, it literally just melts...away."
TRACK
THe Gaylord resorts replicate the experience at their other resorts
In Nashville, the theme is a Charlie Brown Christmas.
Even in sunny warm Orlando Florida, the Gaylord Palms is hosting Christmas around the world - all in ice.
all at nine degress farenheit...with all of the visitors wearing special blue parkas to keep them cozy while they enjoy this chilly yet temporary art of Harbin before it melts away.
I’m Priscilla Huff in Washington
***ENDS**
Harbin is home to some of the world's most talented ice carvers and now these Chinese artisans spend a month in the U.S. creating a winter wonderland of ice sculptures at the Gaylord National resort, just outside the American capital city.
Our U.S. correspondent Priscilla Huff sees how they turn blocks of ice into a child's dream.
IN: (SOUND UP - BEEP! BEEP)
OUT: SOC
DUR: 3:13
AIR: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/1118icepkg-ph-air.mp3
ARN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/1118icepkg-ph-arn.mp3
FM4: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/1118icepkg-ph-fm4.mp3
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/1118icepkg-ph-generic.mp3
ICRT: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/1118icepkg-ph-icrt.mp3
NIGERIA: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/1118icepkg-ph-von.mp3
938LIVE: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/1118icepkg-ph-938.mp3
RNZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/1118icepkg-ph-rnz.mp3
SABC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/1118icepkg-ph-sabc.mp3
VATICAN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/1118icepkg-ph-vat.mp3
ZIZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/1118icepkg-ph-ziz.mp3
****
BEEP BEEP BEEP
TRACK
This winter wonderland starts with trucks
two trucks every day, traveling over 400 miles from Ohio to the American capital city
to deliver the 7 thousand blocks of ice
two million pounds in total
SOUND UP POWER SAW
TRACK
to create each 400-pound ice block it takes 45 gallons - or more than 170 liters of water, frozen over three days.
Those blocks of ice are first sawed into a rough shape by 35 talented ice carvers flown in from Harbin, China.
Lui Hai Long is one of the carvers
TAKE BITE 1
(Mandarin)
To become a really good carver, you need some art foundation. You need to be able ot draw and that's the foundation to become a carver, so he actually studying drawing for a few years before he started carving.
TRACK
Instead of pencils and paper, now His tools include the power saw,
chip chip chip
TRACK
chisels and even cups of hot water to smooth the edges. as he works in a space chilled to just nine degrees farenheit,
that's minus 13 degrees celcius
SOUND UP
We want to capture the whimsey of it
TRACK
Travis George is the ART DIRECTOR
He takes two thick books full of drawings to transform the space into a spectacle.
This years theme is Rudolph the red nosed reindeer
a television special that first aired in 1964
and remains a holiday classic.
Travis George Says the ice carvers from Harbin make the abominable snowman and the island of misfit toys come to life.
TAKE CLIP -
I mean, We couldn't do it without them. They bring their artistry and their skill level and it's really, they make the exhibits shine, I mean really, and we do it very quickly, we do in about 35 days from start to finish.
TRACK
That includes building four slides over twenty feet tall
one of the favorite activities of the visitors to this attraction.
Liu Hai Long
Take BITE make kids happy
(MANDARIN)
Whenever he sees the children playing here very happily, he feels very satisfied and they feel they've done a successful job and that is their ultimate goal, to make the American kids to enjoy their time during their visit her.
And as they continue to carve, clean up is easy says Art Director Travis George.
TAKE BITE
"so we go through a lot of ice, as you can see on the ground, there's a lot of it that we haul out of here every day, but it's food grade too, so it melts and that's how we dispose of it, it literally just melts...away."
TRACK
THe Gaylord resorts replicate the experience at their other resorts
In Nashville, the theme is a Charlie Brown Christmas.
Even in sunny warm Orlando Florida, the Gaylord Palms is hosting Christmas around the world - all in ice.
all at nine degress farenheit...with all of the visitors wearing special blue parkas to keep them cozy while they enjoy this chilly yet temporary art of Harbin before it melts away.
I’m Priscilla Huff in Washington
***ENDS**