Harbin Engineering University students create massive snow sketches to welcome the new year

Three giant sketches portray China's third aircraft carrier, the CNS Fujian, the Adora Magic City, the nation's first domestically built large cruise ship, and a giant LNG carrier on the snow-covered field of Harbin Engineering University in Heilongjiang province. [Photo by Liu Yang/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Nearly 1,000 teachers and students from 14 colleges of Harbin Engineering University in Heilongjiang province recently spent around five hours finishing three massive snow sketcheson the university's snow-covered field to welcome the new year. Students mapped out the sketches using high-precision positioning from the Beidou Navigation Satelite System.

The three sketches portray China's third aircraft carrier, the CNS Fujian, the Adora Magic City, the nation's first domestically built large cruise ship, and a giant LNG carrier.

"The students conducted all the preliminary design work, which took them two months using navigation technology," said Wang Qian, the teacher responsible for the activity.

Despite freezing weather in the Northeast, the students cleared the snow with shovels before smoothing and shaping.

According to the university, the activity is part of its ice and snow carnival, featuring nearly 30 ice and snow activities this winter, including an ice and snow sports competition and a snow sculpture competition for international students.