Chinese artisans play key role in major Sydney festival

A group of Chinese artisans from the city of Zigong in China's Sichuan province are hard at work in Sydney's west preparing for the world's largest light, music and ideas festival -- Vivid Sydney.

The 30 Chinese artists are constructing 43 animal shaped lanterns that will be featured at Sydney's Taronga Zoo as part of the event.

Lucy Keeler, creative director behind the project, told Xinhua on Wednesday it was great to have both cultures working together.

"Well this is the first time this team in full force from Sichuan is making work for the biggest light festival in the world,"Keeler said.

"It is an absolutely extraordinary experience. The combination between the western style and the Chinese techniques is just incomparable and we're really excited about this particular festival."

Some of the lanterns constructed by the Chinese team will be more than 7 meters long.

Keeler said the project had taken 13 months of planning, although the build process was restricted to 40 days.

"There's 43 light sculptures so that's more than one a day,"she noted.

Keeler said it was great to be working with such fine Chinese artisans.

"On every level there is Australian artists working with Chinese artists in the sculpture, in the electrics, in the fabric, in every single level and we are absolutely thrilled to be working with the Chinese here."

The lanterns will be used to represent critically endangered species at Sydney's Taronga Zoo such as the Asian elephant, Sumatran tiger and bilby.

Vivid Sydney will commence in late May and run for 23 days. Endit