A woman in China has garnered widespread admiration online for creating an intricate miniature city entirely out of chocolate, inspired by a revered 12th-century painting. Fan Sumu, who has no formal artistic training, transformed 60 kilograms of chocolate into a three-dimensional replica of Bianjing, the ancient capital depicted in the famous scroll 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival.' Her video showcasing the edible artwork has amassed nearly one million likes on social media.
The Masterpiece and Its Inspiration
The original painting, created by Zhang Zeduan during the Northern Song dynasty, is a 5.2-meter-long handscroll standing 25.5 centimeters tall. It is celebrated for its detailed depiction of daily life along the Bian River and is often referred to as 'China's Mona Lisa.' Fan's chocolate version measures 1.22 meters wide and seven meters long, featuring 176 houses, 281 trees, more than 20 boats, and 816 tiny human figures. She used chocolate, fondant, and rice paper to achieve the intricate details.
Challenges and Details
Each house in the chocolate city stands between 10 and 20 centimeters tall, while the human figures are only 2 centimeters high. The smallest window measures less than 1 centimeter. Fan noted that the most challenging elements were the ropes, such as those used for pulling carts, which are as thin as hair. She piped melted chocolate from a bag and shaped each rope before it hardened.
The project faced setbacks when Fan had to relocate from her living room to a rented house 25 kilometers away, as the work outgrew her space. During the move, many of her creations shattered, forcing her to start over. Despite this, she completed the full scroll in three months, having previously created a smaller section last year.
Background and Other Works
Born after 1995, Fan studied international trade in college and worked as a food blogger, learning her skills entirely from online videos. She has previously rendered other landmarks in chocolate, including the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing, the Yingxian Pagoda in Shanxi, the Eiffel Tower, and paintings such as 'A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains' and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.
Fan's achievement highlights the potential of unconventional materials in art and has inspired many viewers with her dedication and creativity.
