Yu first participated in the awards in 2013 when his work Jiangnan won a bronze. It showed a cluster of bamboo on top of which sat a bamboo chair.

Speaking about the work, Yu says he was inspired by his childhood home surrounded by bamboo. The evergreen plant was then the main material to make home appliances.

A small model of Jiangnan is exhibited together with over 100 works from the previous Liu Kaiqu Awards at a permanent display at the Wuhu Sculpture Art Gallery inside the sculpture park.

Zeng Chenggang, who chairs the China Sculpture Institute, says that sculpture is even more rooted in people's minds in Wuhu because of the Liu Kaiqu awards and exhibition, and the annual event has helped deepen people's understanding of art.

"This increasing intimacy between sculptures and people shows that art is contributing notably to enriching Wuhu's landscape, making it more enchanting for both locals and visitors," he says.

Sculptor Pan He says he and Liu were among the first few in the late 1970s to realize the importance of promoting sculptures in outdoor venues, in addition to museums, to receive more exposure.

Pan says a city needs not only extensive green areas and squares but also culture that can be spread through public art, such as sculptures, and that artists should also use this opportunity to express ideas that can become timeless.

Yu says nothing makes sculptors happier than seeing their works installed at a venue for public viewing.

He says the number of public places that combine leisure activities with artistic appreciation, such as Wuhu Sculpture Park, is growing.