Winter Wonder: China's Ice and Snow Festival is straight out of a fairytale
Harbin International Ice and Snow festival begins every year on 5 January and runs for about two months, boasting a stunning collection of the world’s largest ice sculptures
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The 39th International Ice and Snow Festival opened on Thursday in Harbin, which is a popular winter tourist destination in northeast China. It is one of the largest ice festivals on the planet. Image credit: AFP
It starts every year on 5 January and runs for about two months, boasting a stunning and shivering display of the world's largest ice sculptures. Ever since it gained international attention, the festival attracting 18 million visitors and generating 28.7 billion yuan ($4.4 billion) of revenue. Image credit: AFP
The festival originated in Harbin’s traditional ice lantern show and winter garden party that began in 1963. Since then, it has been transformed into a much bigger annual event at Zhaolin Park. Image credit: AFP
According to media reports, numerous ice and snow activities such as Yabuli alpine skiing, winter swimming in the Songhua River, and the ice-lantern exhibition in Zhaolin Garden will be launched during the festival in order to highlight the unique charm and vitality of the city's ice and snow culture. Image credit: AFP
While ice sculptures are erected throughout the city, there are two main exhibition areas – Sun Island, which features an expo of enormous snow sculptures, and Ice and Snow World, which features illuminated full-size buildings made from blocks of 2–3' thick ice taken directly from the Songhua River. Image credit: AFP
When illuminated, especially at night, multicoloured lights are also used to colourise the ice, resulting in variants on sculptured spectacles. Image credit: AFP
Buildings and monuments with various architectural types and styles, human and animal figures, mythical creatures, slippery dips or ice slides, and lanterns are only a few examples of previous years' ice sculptures. Image credit: AFP
Fireworks mark the beginning of the two-month celebration, which turns the city into a multi-coloured dream world. Image credit: AFP
Apart from witnessing marvellous ice sculptures, tourists from across the globe visit Harbin to participate in winter sports and take part in traditional Chinese New Year celebrations as well. Image credit: AFP