Annual winter festival in Harbin attracts tourists

Now, the largest ice and snow festival in the world, its theme intrigues tourists worldwide

The Harbin International Ice and Snow festival is an annual winter festival that takes place in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. Now, the largest ice and snow festival in the world, its theme intrigues tourists worldwide. With the world's biggest ice sculptures it has become an international phenomenon; the 2018 festival attracted 18 million visitors and generated 28.7 billion yuan (4.4 billion USD) of revenue. In 1999, the first Ice and Snow World opened to public to celebrate the millennium. Each year the park has to be rebuilt with newly designed ice buildings and snow and ice sculptures. In recent years, the park has been as large as 80 hectares.

While ice sculptures are erected throughout the city, there are two main exhibition areas: Sun Island and Ice and Snow World. The Sun Island is a recreational area on the opposite side of the Songhua River from the city, which features an expo of enormous snow sculptures and the Ice and Snow World is an area open in the afternoon and at night which features illuminated full size buildings made from blocks of 2–3' thick ice taken directly from the Songhua River. The park usually opens from late December to late February.

People visit the Harbin Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Exposition in Harbin on January 2, 2021.

Source: Xinhua News Agency