The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival is the largest ice and snow festival in the world. It is an annual winter festival held in Harbin in China.
Festival history
Since 1963, the Chinese city of Harbin has always celebrated an ice show and a garden party during the winter. The celebrations were interrupted for a few years during the Cultural Revolution in China, but resumed in 1983. The festival gained importance in 1985 after city officials realized that the festival was popular among the locals and between international visitors. The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is held every year starting January 5th and continues for a month. In 2001, the Harbin Ice Festival merged with the International Ski Festival held in Heilongjiang, China, to celebrate the great winter festival it is today.
The festival venue
The Ice and Snow Festival is a festival that takes place throughout the city and takes place throughout the city of Harbin. The festival area covers a vast 750,000 square meters. Some of the favorite places are Sun Island, Songhua River, Stalin Park and Zhaolin Park. The Songhua River is a favorite site for visitors who skate and ride on the frozen river. At Zhaolin Park, impressive sculptures and iconic snow creatures are exhibited. The impressive snow creations are designed by sculptor masters who begin work several months before the festival begins. The sculptors cut out giant blocks of ice from the Songhua River that they use to create beautiful castles, huge dragons and large goddesses. Ice sculptures keep their shape due to the negative experience of Harbin temperatures during the winter. Some of the extraordinary sculptures that were made in the past include an Egyptian sphinx, a massive steam train and a giant pagoda.
Access to Harbin
The Chinese city of Harbin is accessible by various means. The most common ways to reach the city are by plane and by train. Harbin Airport provides access to the city from more than a dozen destinations in and outside of China. Moreover, Harbin has an efficient railway line for most Chinese cities.
Ice and snow festival alike
In addition to the Harbin ice and snow festival, there are similar events taking place around the world. Some of the most important ice and snow festivals include; the Sapporo Festival in Japan, the Canadian Winter Carnival held in Quebec, the Holmenkollen Ski Festival in Norway and the Winterlude in Ottawa. These parties involve many interesting activities such as winter fishing, winter swimming, skiing, dancing, skating, weddings, fireworks, fashion shows, music concerts, exhibitions and fairs.
Importance of the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival
The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is a significant celebration that has received worldwide recognition as international and local tourists attend the event every year. Furthermore, the event turned into a cultural celebration in which traditional folk songs and dances are performed. The festival is also famous for the successful fairs and exhibitions held there every year. Finally, participants in the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival pay huge sums of money to enter the festival. These tuition fees contribute significantly to the city’s annual income.
