China builds world’s largest, scariest ice Santa

Ho ho ho

The People’s Daily reports:

China’s freezing northern city of Harbin is building what organizers say is the world’s largest Santa Claus ice sculpture.

The giant Father Christmas, 160 meters (525 ft) long and 24 meters high, centers on an enormous face of Father Christmas, complete with flowing beard and hat.

Its huge size and unseasonably warm temperatures have made the job especially challenging, said Tang Guangjun, one of the sculptors.

Then there’s this article from Xinhua titled ‘Christmas drives Chinese people to churches’ which has two nuggets of Christmas wisdom:

“It’s wonderful to see so many Chinese people come openly here on Christmas,” said Tien Gill as he took a leaflet. Tien arrived in Beijing three weeks ago from the United States for a holiday. “Religious freedom is not empty talk here.” …

…Deng Zhiwei, vice chairman of the China Sociology Society said,” some foreign reports said that Chinese people become spiritual believers because they lack a sense of security, but it’s social security and the opening-up of China that make it possible for so many people to come to churches.”

Scary Santas and saccharine propaganda articles intended to impress foreigners: It’s enough to make you miss the days of hard core Maoist atheism.