Thai students claim top prize at Harbin snow sculpture contest

Thai vocational students from Bangkok and Chiang Rai won the 2026 International Collegiate Snow Sculpture Contest in Harbin, China, with a sculpture inspired by the Siamese fighting fish and goddess of water.

The annual snow sculpture contest, organised by Harbin Engineering University, returned for its 18th edition this year. The competition was held from January 4 to 7 in Harbin, a city known for its harsh winter conditions and snow festivals.

This year’s event featured 46 teams from nine countries and regions, including China, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Portugal, Switzerland, Macau, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Ukraine.

The Secretary-General of the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC), Yossapol Wenu-goses, announced the results today, January 8. He said four Thai vocational college teams took part in the competition and collectively won three major awards.

According to Yossapol, the first prize was jointly awarded to students from Chiang Rai Vocational College and Saowapha Vocational College.

The Chiang Rai team, made up of three students from the Fine Arts programme, presented a sculpture inspired by the Siamese fighting fish, also known as the betta fish.

Their work, titled “Fighting Fish Blooming in the Snowland”, depicts four betta fish swimming in a circular motion around a globe, arranged in ascending order to symbolise movement, balance, and vitality.

Meanwhile, Saowapha Vocational College impressed judges with a sculpture titled “Goddess of Life, Giver of Water”. The piece highlights the importance of water in Thai life, culture, and beliefs, portraying it as essential to survival and comparable to a mother who nurtures all living things.

Ubon Ratchathani Vocational College secured the second prize, while Saraburi Vocational College claimed the third prize.

This was not the first time Thai students have succeeded in international snow sculpture competitions. Last year, teams from Saowapha Vocational College and Saraburi Vocational College also won awards at the 17th International Collegiate Snow Sculpture Contest in Harbin.

Yossapol said the achievement reflects the growing potential of Thailand’s vocational education sector, demonstrating that Thai students can compete at an international level in both craftsmanship and creative design, even under extreme winter conditions unfamiliar to a tropical country like Thailand.