Over 60 participants from 14 different countries competed in an international ice sculpture contest on Sunday in the northern Chinese province of Harbin. It's a race against time.

The artists are only given three days to finish their designs, using solid blocks of ice from the nearby Songhua river. New Zealand sculptor Dasha Tapa and her colleague were working on creating two beautiful Tui birds feeding on New Zealand flax flowers. Local artist Wang Zhonglong, who also teaches ice carving in Harbin Normal University, was attempting to bring a phoenix and flower to life using a hollowing technique.

The contest began on Saturday and is set to end on Monday when judges will hand out awards for the best sculptures.

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