The 2rd International Desert Sculpture Symposium & Land Art Festival features artwork displayed in a desert setting, like this one in Minqin county, Wuwei city, Northwest China's Gansu province, July 20, 2019. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Liu Peng, secretary of the Wuwei Municipal Party Committee, said that Minqin is surrounded by sand on three sides and has abundant desert resources. Last year, the First Desert Sculpture International Creation Camp was successfully held, making the local area an important base for ecological civilization education. This year, the Second Desert Sculpture International Creation Camp invited artists from all over the world to create works in the desert. It aims to create the first desert land art cluster in China and the world, establish China's first desert sculpture theme park to make the desert a site for art, ecology, culture and tourism, and constantly improve its reputation as the "Desert Art Capital of China".

"Building sculptures in the desert is not only a first at home, but also an unprecedented feat internationally," said Cao Chunsheng, professor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and honorary president of the Chinese Sculpture Society. He said that Minqin welcomes outstanding artists and their sculptures from all over the world with its simple folk customs and diligent work style. These sculptures are like a "cultural oasis" in the desert, making the desert no longer barren.