Thursday, January 05, 2012

Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival



Harbin is the largest city of the province of Heilongjiang and is one of the coldest in Asia. On average, temperatures there ranges between 21.2 degrees Celsius and -16.8 degrees Celsius. There are many things to do while you are in Harbin. For one, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival is one of the most popular festivals being celebrated there. It is also one of the four largest in the world, along with Japan's, Canada's and Norway's.

The yearly Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival is celebrated every 5th of January although long before then there are already many displays to behold. During this time, people flock the Sun Island where huge snow sculptures are being shown to the many tourists who visit the city for this festival. In the evening, you can also take advantage of the Ice and Snow World which showcases fully lighted life size buildings made of thick blocks of ice. Other activities that you will love during this festival are the Yabuli Alpine Skiing, Ice lantern exhibition in Zhaolin Garden and winter swimming in Songhua River.



A tourist visits an ice sculpture for the 2010 Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China. In frigid northeastern China, in the city of Harbin is hosting its 26th annual International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. Massive buildings built of ice from the frozen surface of the nearby Songhua River, large scale snow sculptures, ice slides, festival food and drinks can be found in several parks in the city. At night, visitors who endure the bitter cold will see the lights switched on, illuminating the sculptures from both inside and outside.



Harbin Ice Festival 2006 -- Photo by Markus Källander

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