Thousands of sculptures are assembled in Beijing's Heiqiao art zone, located in an abandoned factory.

Wang Shushan, 40, a graduate of the Academy of Art and Design of Tsinghua University, has his own studio and company. He and his assistants are working on a set of military-themed sculptures, including a statue based on the crew from China's first aircraft carrier.

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Wang doesn't worry much about the downturn, insisting that people will always need beauty to appreciate and memorials of things they cherish. "The problem is that there are too many poor pieces of sculpture everywhere that blemish the reputation of the art and landscapes of cities," he says.

Despite the recent downturn, the booming sculpture industry in China keeps attracting masters and artists from abroad.

Wang Jida, 79, graduated from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in the 1960s and took part in the sculpture project of the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall.

In 1983, he went to New York and became one of the first Chinese artists who exhibited abroad. He is a fellow of the National Sculpture Society of the United States.

"A sculptor cannot make a good living until his or her work is acknowledged by collectors. It is the same everywhere," Wang says.

He travels back to China every year. His current 10-day solo exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing opened on March 5.

"We have been doing many things too fast. Many works like sculptures require time and patience," Wang says.