This festival,  one of the world’s four largest ice and snow festivals, includes humongous ice buildings built from the frozen waters of the Songhua River, gigantic snow sculptures, and ice slides. (Kind of an icy version of Burning Man at night!)

I loved the multi-colored night lights that illuminated the sculptures from both inside and outside. Really cool to see the brilliant and dazzling lights against the dark night sky.

Something for everyone, this year’s festival even included the first China Ice and Snow Wedding Ceremony Festival and the 26th Ice and Snow Festival Group Wedding Ceremony on the Ice. (Hope the honeymoon was able to warm up these brides and grooms!)

Lacking the company of another dragon to snuggle up to, I stayed warm by trying ice rock-climbing, ice golf, skiing, skating, sliding, snow fights, and ice archery. (Unfortunately in a fit of sneezing I flamed the tip of Mao-tse Tung’s nose and then was encouraged to leave – immediately. Ah… the life of a dragon!)

Being rebellious, I spewed some flames as I flew away. Created quite a minor sensation below, with photographers snapping pictures of the mysterious light in the sky!

Inside I found an amazing exhibit called Sonabai, Another Way of Seeing. For a decade and a half, Sonabai Rajawar only contact was with her husband and child! In response to this isolation, she created an entirely new artistic expression of color, light, and fun.

How amazing that she had no instruction or guidance, but was able to create such joyous art! Years later, quite by chance, the Indian art world discovered her and later gave her India’s highest honor, the prestigious President’s Award.

Sonabai’s story clearly expresses the capacity of human beings (including dragons) everywhere to meet their challenges head on and to draw from within themselves the strength and insight to change their lives.  Sonabai found ways to transform her oppression into expressions of courage, beauty, and joy in living. What an inspiration!

I love the way guest curator Stephen Huyler truly captured the feeling of Sonabai’s environment in hi very creative exhibit of short videos of the artist at work and village scenes, projections of village dancers, and photomurals of Sonabai’s studio.

How different life in this village is from life in America! I especially love the variety and brilliance of colors in the women’s clothing (even for picking rice). These truly amazed me, as I don’t think they go to their local K-Mart to buy their clothing and yet the colors seemed brighter than the average outfit around here. Also the looks of pure delight and playfulness on the faces of the women and children so expressed their pure pleasure in the simple things in life! (Dr. Huyler’s photomurals of Sonabai’s studio made me want to fly right out to central India to see these sights for myself and join the villagers in their dance!)

Seeing the works of Sonabai, as well as the art of her four students in this exhibit, gave me hope and inspiration. Sonabai’s story reminded me of the story of holocaust survivor Victor Frankl. He concluded that life has potential meaning and that therefore even suffering is meaningful.

So true for Sonabai who emerged from her oppression to inspire artists, as well as others all over the world, with her art and story!

Whose story inspires you? Please share your inspiration here!

This dragon has often envied the ability of my distant chameleon cousins to camouflage themselves. (Check out this amazing cousin in camo… If I’m extra good in this life, perhaps I’ll come back with that camo skill in my next life. This could a really useful skill for a big dragon!)

Speaking of camouflage, while surfing the net today I discovered an amazing Chinese Da Vinci named Liu Bolin. Some call him the “Invisible Man” and for a really good reason! (Yes, dragons do surf the net, despite our difficulties in using a mouse.)

This very talented dude’s photos have people painted to appear to be invisible or disappearing. It’s his way of showing how he feels Chinese citizens are being treated by the Chinese government.

“It is not so much the body that is concealed in the environment,” says the Invisible Man, “as the surrounding world that swallows up human beings, without giving them any option.” What a cool and a unique way to make a political statement!

See if you can find the invisible people in following pictures! Kudos to the artist and the patient people in these pictures!

For more pictures and info on The Man, go to the Intermedias blog, Galerie Bertin-Toublanc, and DesignBoom.