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The festival is officially held from 5 January, lasts until the ice begins to melt, usually the end of February.
Where- Harbin, China
What-Think ‘City of Ice’ and you think of Harbin, the premier city of the Heilongjiang province, northeast China. Its winters last six months, sub-zero temperatures are routine, its river freezes rock solid and its parklands are transformed into snowscapes.
The annual Ice Festival is Harbin’s main winter draw. The Harbin International Ice is one of the world’s four biggest ice and snow festivals, along with the famous ones in Sapporo, Norway and Quebec. It’s a truly spectacular display of ice sculpting genius, with the ancient techniques of lantern carving displayed alongside gigantic efforts made with the latest laser technology. Gigantic blocks of ice from the Songhua River are chipped, chiseled and carved into palaces and pagodas, dragons and dinosaurs, ships and spacecraft, familiar landmarks and famous figures. As night falls, the gigantic sculptures light up in electric blue, bubblegum pink and other kitsch colors. Touch them and your hand will come away completely dry – the ice is so cold that even body heat won’t shift it. Arrive before dark to watch ice- and snow-sculpting in progress.
Best places to enjoy the festival include:
Winter swimming activities along Songhua River
The Snow Sculpture Exposition on The Sun Island
Harbin Ice and Snow World
Yabuli International Ski Resort
Ice Lantern Gala in Zhaolin Park.
Best Stays
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