Wander around life-size ice sculptures at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China! Here’s why this festival is so special and everything else you need to know.
This winter festival is considered one of the largest ice and snow festivals in the world. Every year it takes place in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province in China. You can witness some of the most marvellous sculptures made completely from ice and snow.
The 39th edition of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival was inaugurated on December 23, 2022. The festival is offering a host of fun and interactive exhibition like ice and snow world, a snow sculpture art expo, an ice lantern art fair, an ice bar and restaurant, an ice and snow carnival, winter swimming, skiing, sledging and snowmobiling among others. The preparation for the festival starts at the beginning of December when the sculptors start harvesting the snow and begin the process of building the gigantic ice sculptures. The festival lasts through February, but there is no official closing ceremony. The winter festival closes eventually when the snow starts melting in March.
What to see at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival:
You can find ice sculptures all over Harbin city, however, there are three main venues where most of the exhibitions are held: Harbin Ice and Snow World, Sun Island and Zhaolin Park. The Harbin Ice and Snow World is where you witness the ice remake of sculptures of huge proportions, resembling Disneyland. The Zhaolin Park is for kids and has illuminated ice lanterns, animals and more. The Sun Island Venue has ice sculptures made by artists from all over the world.
How to reach Harbin, Heilongjiang in China:
To visit the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, you can take flights to the Harbin Taiping International Airport. The flight from Beijing takes two hours to reach Harbin. There are bullet trains running from Beijing to Harbin Railway station. The high-speed train takes five to six hours to reach Harbin from Beijing.
(Hero and feature image credit: Shutterstock)
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