The Olympic spirit is taking shape at the square of the Millennium Monument with the installation of nearly 400 landscape sculptures. The exhibition, kicked off on Sunday, is held within the framework of celebrating the one-year countdown of the 2008 Olympics. Hundreds of enthusiastic, camera-toting spectators descended on opening day. The 2008 Olympic Landscape Sculpture Exhibition doesn't only portray the Olympic spirit - it's helping to create it. Most works highlights themes of international unity, dream realization and the hopes of Beijing in 2008.In an exhibition where shape serves as the lingua franca, one shape encompassing the hopes and Olympic values dominates - the Olympic rings. While pervasive, the use of the rings is kept from monotony by variety and creativity in the ways the Olympic icon is woven into other forms. One of the best examples is "Dream Realization", by He Jianjun of Guangdong Province. The interlocking rings form the torsos or other parts of the body for five stainless steel figures. While sculptors from 56 countries and regions contributed to the exhibition, the cultural essence is principally Chinese. Different facets of Chinese culture and heritage are emphasized. The sculptures will stay in the square until Saturday, open to the public for free. Zou Wen, secretary general of Olympic Landscape Sculpture Exhibition, said, " We want to make the exhibition accessible to as many people as possible. To do that, in each of cities, we put the exhibition in the center of the city. We have already toured major Chinese cities including Xiamen, Zhengzhou, Changchun, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao. Next we will go overseas to exhibit in Rome, and Lausanne in Switzerland. "Visitors are asked to vote for their favorite works. After the votes are tallied, the competition will wrap up with a televised awards ceremony in the fall. 29 gold, silver and bronze prizes will be awarded to the sculptors with the most votes.