Artworks fill a spacious park in Tonghe county, three hours' drive east of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province. Made of marble, steel, granite or forged copper by artists of the International Sculpture Symposium Alliance, the works touch on universal themes including nature, environmental conservation, the arduous journey of life and childhood innocence. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Some of them, however, represent distinct hallmarks of the local culture, like hazelnuts, cycling and the art of paper-cutting.

The artists have also contributed to a permanent indoor exhibition, with delicate miniature models of their sculptures in the park.

With trees as the backdrop and the wind a frequent dancing partner, Mexican artist Pedro Martinez Osorio, 65, has abstracted his beloved monarch butterflies of Tultepec in yellow-painted steel and incorporated them into the nature of Northeast China.

Perched atop a rock and glittering in the sunshine sits Silvio Apponyi's "dragon lizard", a work which the 69-year-old Australian artist says attracts people since they "enjoy being close-up to a creature they might never see in real life".

Through his sculptures, Italian Francesco Panceri has interpreted his understanding of the power of nature that is held within earth, water, fire and air. He wants to see how his sculptures, following coherent style and concepts, interact with their diverse surroundings.

His most recent creation in Tonghe has drawn comparisons with a previous work, currently on display in front of a modern art museum in Seoul, South Korea.