• Judges awarded second prize to Macao’s exquisite snow sculpture (Photo courtesy of Macao Culinary Team)

Macao Culinary Team Win Second Prize in International Snow Carving Contest

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At the invitation of Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), a team of snow carvers from the Macau Culinary Association entered the 45th International Snow Sculpture Contest in Japan, bringing home the second prize. The snow sculpture - titled 'Harmony' - is an exquisite work of art showcasing golden fish freely swimming in the water, creating a harmonious environment.

The Sapporo Snow Festival is a popular Winter festival in Japan that attracts over a million visitors from domestic cities and overseas every year. This year's event was held at three major venues to show over 250 snow and ice sculptures of all sizes. The International Snow Sculpture Contest was one of three highlight events pitting twelve teams from different countries and regions against each other from as far away as Thailand, the United States, Finland, South Korea and Macao.

Japan is the second largest international visitor source market for Macao, and last year Japanese visitor arrivals in the territory topped 329000, a year-on-year increase of 9.4 per cent. Macao first joined The Sapporo Snow Festival in 2016, taking second prize of the International Snow Sculpture Contest on that occasion, as well, prior to snatching first prize in 2017. The entries - deeply appreciated by Sapporo's local residents - help promote the image of Macao to international travellers.