In Harbin, ice and light create China's winter wonderland
When the bitter winter cold sweeps across northeastern China, Harbin becomes a stage for frozen art. Gigantic sculptures and millions of visitors make the annual event the world's largest ice and snow sculpture festival.
Fine-tuning
When winter takes hold of northeastern China, the city of Harbin transforms into a fantasy world of ice. The streets and parks sparkle in the light of thousands of lamps, and elaborate sculptures are carved out of big blocks of ice. The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival with the theme "A Fairy Tale World" is now considered the largest ice and snow festival in the world.
Giant snowman
A gigantic snowman towers over Qunli Music Park. According to the organizers, a record 400,000 cubic meters of ice and snow was used to build this year's structures. Depending on the weather, the festival is expected to last until roughly mid-February.
Winter slide
These slides were constructed from blocks of ice, inviting visitors to feel like children again in an icy setting. Attractions like these make the festival a popular destination for young and old alike.
Polar express
The lighting of the cold works of art creates a magical sight. Families and winter lovers travel from far and wide, wrap themselves in their warmest winter gear and marvel at the shapes created from the frozen water of the Songhua River.
Taking a dip
But Harbin wouldn't be Harbin if it were just about the artwork. In addition to icy palaces and light installations, the festival offers a variety of winter activities, such as parades, skiing and snowboarding events, and ice swimming competitions in the Songhua River.
Invitation to dream
Many of the gigantic, artistically sculpted figures tell stories of myths, animals and human imagination. At night, their shadows blend with the lights to create an almost surreal scene.
Temporary art
The festival also features many smaller sculptures. Artists from all over the world have immortalized themselves here ― at least until the snow melts.
Icy but colorful
A sea of ice, lights and colors reveals itself when looking down on the festival from above. On the opening day, December 17, alone, the festival attracted more than 800,000 visitors.
Magnificent opening ceremony
During the opening ceremony, visitors were treated to a fireworks display. Last winter, the festival attracted a total of some 3.5 million visitors.
Fantastic backdrop
Of course, this dreamlike winter backdrop also offers many opportunities to take great photos. In the end, what remains is amazement — at a city that turns cold weather into art and makes winter much more bearable.